Council begins monitoring for 2020 Elections

The Council for Responsible Political Behaviour has begun monitoring activities to evaluate all political parties, candidates and their supporters in the adherence to the Code of Ethical Political Conduct.

In a press release from Dr Bishnu Ragoonath, Chair, Council for Responsible Political Behaviour, said the 2020 General Elections will be held before December 23 once the 11th Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is automatically dissolved on September 23, if it is not dissolved sooner.

“Several Political Parties have already mobilized in preparation for an election which is to be conducted in the midst of a pandemic coupled with a worldwide movement to end racism and inequality,” the release said.

The Council reminded that the first section of the Code entitled ‘Commitment’ challenges all persons engaging in the election campaign to, amongst other things, commit to:

• Maintaining the highest moral principles and ethical standards with respect to their conduct;
• Promoting and enforcing respect, tolerance, harmony and peace amongst their supporters and the general public;
• Refraining from practices that promote divisiveness in the Society and commit to the removal of any structures (behavioural, cultural, social, or organisational) which reinforce divisiveness;
• Confining their criticism of other political parties to policies and programmes, past record and work;
• Upholding the integrity of the electoral process;
• Ensuring that their conduct is above reproach.

The Council noted that “within the recent past, before the start of its monitoring, there have already been some utterances which undermine these commitments. The Council thus advises that as of this time and until the end of the election period, all further infringements of the Code will be cited and brought to the attention of the national community”.

The release ended inviting the public to visit www.politicalethicstt.org  to view the Code and submit reports of possible Code violations to info@politicalethicstt.org