Kamla Persad to take legal action against Kazim Hosein over Local Government Elections Boundary Report

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has indicated that she intends to take strict legal actions against Minister Kazim Hosein.

Thursday, 3rd February 2022

Kamla-Persad-Bissessar- Leader of opposition Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago: Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has indicated that she intends to take strict legal actions against the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Kazim Hosein. She stated that the minister has been "hiding" the Local Government Elections Boundary Report. Persad-Bissessar, speaking at the UNC's Monday Night Forum, said she understands Hosein has possessed the report since June of last year, "Minister, why are you keeping that report hidden?" She exclaimed, "You have to bring that Boundary Report to the House and lay it!" "By continuing to keep that Boundary Report hidden, you are breaking the law. Is it due to the fact that there are significant border changes? You're giving yourself an unfair advantage by keeping that Boundary Report hidden from not only the UNC but all other candidates for Local Government Elections," she added. "If you don't want to lay the Report on your own," Persad-Bissessar added, "we'll go to Court and get a Court Order for you to bring the Boundary Report." She urged Hosein to present the findings to Parliament by Friday. According to Persad-Bissessar, the government came to Parliament with simple majority laws to keep the Local Government Councils alive. "After the PNM refused for years, I called the Local Government Elections in July 2010, when I became Prime Minister in 2010." "After the councillors in Barataria and Belmont died, we had to write pre-action protocol letters for the scheduling of two by-elections in 2018." "They were obliged to call the elections only after I sent a pre-action protocol letter," she explained. On Monday, the UNC is contesting a by-election in Debe South, and Persad-Bissessar has already claimed victory. "In this country, Rowley PNM refused to allow the people a voice," said Persad. Your right to vote is being stifled. It's become such a pattern that we've had to scare them with legal action to get people to use their right to vote," she said. Local Government councils, according to Persad-Bissessar, will be abolished in December of this year. "Before the elections are called, the EBC will provide a boundary report for the Minister of Local Government to review. The minister is then required by law to deliver that report to the House of Representatives for debate and approval," she explained. "What is the significance of that report?" It will define the bounds for corporate seats," she explained. Persad-Bissessar also commented on the National Insurance Board's chairperson transition (NIB). Despite the NIB Act's requirement for an independent chairman, the Media reported on Sunday that a previous Government representative on the board of the NIB would not be taking over the helm. "The NIB is obligated by law to prepare an annual report on the Bank's activities, performance, and financials." "They have till September of each year to deliver the Minister of Finance that report. The Minister of Finance must then provide the Report to Parliament by November of that year. The Minister of Finance withheld the last two reports, 2019 and 2020," she added. "For these Reports, we had to go to court." "From what I hear, the case is still pending in court," she stated. "He ran to Parliament the same day and laid the Reports for 2019 and 2020," Persad-Bissessar said after the court granted leave to sue the Minister of Finance.