THE Prime Minister says Caricom will be invited to send observers to Trinidad and Tobago for the next general election.
Dr Rowley dismissed repeated claims by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar about the PNM's trying to steal the election through recommendations by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to change constituency boundaries.
Rowley claimed Persad-Bissessar had a fetish for losing elections and assured her another one is coming.
He also said there should be a conversation with the commission about how regularly the voters' list was checked to ensure the validity of the names on it.
Rowley made these comments before the House of Representatives passed a motion to approve the Draft EBC Order 2024 on December 9.
The motion's purpose was to approve an EBC report dated March 13, in which the commission reviewed the boundaries of all 41 parliamentary constituencies.
In accordance with Section 72 (1) of the Constitution, the Prime Minister is required to submit a draft order before the House which will implement the recommendations contained in this report, without modifications.
The report proposed changing the names of five constituencies.
The EBC also proposed boundary changes for 16 constituencies.
In the report the EBC said, "In Trinidad and in Tobago, respectively, the electorate in any constituency shall not be more than 110 per cent nor be less than 90 per cent of the total electorate of the island divided by the number of constituencies in that island."
The report said the 1,095,080 population of Trinidad fitting into 39 constituencies would give an average of 28,079 people per constituency, equating to a permissible lower limit of 25,271 (90 per cent) and upper limit of 30,887 (110 per cent). To get the 52,163 residents of Tobago into two constituencies gives a constituency average of 26,082 people, with a permissible lower limit of 23,473 and upper limit of 28,690 people.
Changes to the boundaries of 16 constituencies arose from certain areas having too many or too few residents, based on these 90 per cent lower limits and 110 per cent upper limits.
As he concluded the very brief debate, which involved only Persad-Bissessar and himself, Rowley dealt with her call for election observers and claims the PNM was trying to rig the election in its favour through the changes in constituency boundaries recommended in the EBC's report.
Persad-Bissessar called for election observers in September and wrote to Rowley, in the same month, to make that request.
He told MPs, "At the moment, I am waiting. I have already given the instruction. The draft is prepared. I have already indicated to the secretariat of Caricom that the government of Trinidad and Tobago is asking Caricom to send a delegation whenever the election takes place in TT."
Rowley hoped Caricom would accept this invitation.
"I will sign it (the letter to invite Caricom observers). It is due to come to me any time now."
He wondered why Persad-Bissessar was so eager for an election and observers.
"My
