New Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Darrell Allahar wants to change the system of elections.
He said so minutes after being sworn in by President Christine Kangaloo at President's House, St Ann's on Thursday May 22.
Asked what he would like to see the government advance, Allahar replied all conscientious attorneys would wish to see the civil and criminal justice systems work optimally and for TT to continue to have a system of open justice. Saying he was just sworn in and was not speaking for the government, he said, "It is a personal hope."
Allahar added, "It is another hope and desire that our system of elections – which is very old, archaic, hard to understand and prone to corruption – may be reviewed.
"It is something I personally feel very strong about." He said this all needed to be brought into the 21st century. "A lot of lawyers cannot understand it."
At a UNC press conference on April 23, ahead of the April 28 general election, Allahar had called for a commission of enquiry into the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC).
He had said then, “Also the conduct of all the election officials in respect to the management and conduct of all the elections with a view to determining if persons should be prosecuted for misbehaviour in public office." Allahar had then asked if Chief Elections Officer Fern Narcis-Scope was a PNM member, despite her having repeatedly said no over the years.
Allahar had claimed that he expected that on election day, UNC supporters would be frustrated by allegedly biased EBC officials and PNM operatives intent on stealing the election from the UNC.
Newsday asked if now – after the election – he was still at loggerheads with the EBC. Allahar replied, "The loggerheads are not my loggerheads." He said the UNC had received "very justifiable complaints" over the EBC ahead of election day.
Saying his pre-election remarks had been made on behalf of the UNC, he said, "I stand by those comments I made in a different capacity."
Newsday asked if was now a "red flag" to the general public for someone who had severely criticised the EBC to now talk about wanting to change TT's election system. He replied, "I would never wave a red flag." Newsday asked if he himself was a red flag. He replied, "I am not a red flag. I have been asked about certain concerns in my personal capacity which you raised and I mentioned them in my personal capacity. It is not a statement on behalf of government policy.
"So it is not a red flag. It is not an expectation. Somebody asked me my personal view and I was happy enough to give it to them."
Newsday asked if he could now be accepted as credible as a government minister, given his previous highly-partisan comments as a UNC attorney attacking the EBC's integrity.
Allahar replied, "Let's get it straight. You are saying I had presented myself as a lawyer for the UNC and now I am a minister of government in a UNC government, and I have just taken an oath to be impartial to everyone, so I hope that answers your question.
"I c
