THE House of Representatives will sit on December 9 from 10 am to debate a motion to approve the Draft Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) Order 2024.
This motion, filed in the name of the Prime Minister on the supplemental order paper, is to approve an EBC report dated March 13, in which the commission reviewed the boundaries of all 41 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.
They are Arouca/Maloney to Trincity/Maloney, D’Abadie/O’Meara to Malabar/Mausica, Lopinot/Bon Air West to Arouca/Lopinot, St Joseph to Aranguez/St Joseph and Pointe-a-Pierre to Claxton Bay.
The EBC also proposed boundary changes for 16 constituencies.
They are Toco/Sangre Grande, Malabar/Mausica, Caroni Central, Cumuto/Manzanilla, Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West, Port of Spain South, San Fernando East, San Fernando West, Claxton Bay, La Horquetta/Talparo, Laventille East/Morvant, Laventille West, Oropouche East, Tabaquite, Arima and Trincity/Maloney.
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.
There is also a motion on the order paper to approve the recommendations in the 120th Salaries Review Commission (SRC) report, which has recommended significant salaries increases for several public officials including the Prime Minister, President and Opposition Leader.
This motion is filed on the order paper in the name of Finance Minister Colm Imbert who laid the SRC report in the House on November 15.
Newsday was advised this motion is not being debated on December 9.
In its 120th report, the SRC noted concerns raised by certain office-holders over recommendations in its 117th report, which was laid in the House in February. Among those raising concerns at that time were members of the Judiciary, who questioned the methods the SRC used to evaluate their salaries and terms of service. The recommendations of the 117th report were never implemented.
The current salaries of the President, Prime Minister and Opposition Leader are based on recommendatio
