Voters complain of challenges in Chaguanas

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UNC die-hard supporters started lining up at polling stations as early as 6 am yesterday in Central Trinidad. Some voters complained that even though they possessed party cards their names were not on the list and were illegible to vote. Somaria Ramoutar, said she has a party card but was blanked when she went to vote at the Orange Field Hindu School in the constituency of Couva North.

Ramoutar said she was told to check to see if her name was at another polling division. When Guardian Media contacted her later on, Ramoutar said her name was never found and she went home. Bissoondath Ramdath said his name was also not on the list. Ramdath said he joined the party since the days of Basdeo Panday but never got a party card.

A few people thought the process was the same as the General Elections where their names would somehow be generated by the EBC to vote even though they were not party members.

Kali Pundit Krishedath Angard, 77, of Joyce Road, Chaguanas was among the first to vote at the Orange Field Hindu School. Agard said he came before 6 am only to find out that voting commenced at 8 am. Angard said the voting process was smooth.

“God has to bring the truth to the fore now. We are fighting not only an election but a government that is incapable of running this country. We have to pick somebody and choose the right person is what we doing today.”

Ramona Ramdial, who ran for the post of Deputy Political Leader on Team Lotus, said she inspected the ballot boxes and conferred with the necessary officials before the start of the polls at Orange Field.

Ramdial, the former Couva North MP, said a large turnout indicated that the party’s supporters wanted change.

At the Exchange RC School where supporters from Couva South lined up to vote the process was slow. Some voters got fed up and left.

Sharma Sooknanan, the chairman of the Couva South constituency, said the Presiding Officer chose to explain the ballot to voters individually and was taking too much time Couva.