TRINIDAD: BI-WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PORT OF SPAIN 000152 SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KCRM KJUS TD SUBJECT: TRINIDAD: BI-WEEKLY POLITICAL ROUNDUP REF: 05 PORT OF SPAIN 1925 Post has been tracking the following developments on the political scene: ¶1. PM MANNING MEETS WITH HAITI'S INTERIM PRIME MINISTER ¶2. JAMAAT-AL-MUSLIMEEN LEADER TO STAND TRIAL FOR TERRORISM ¶3. OPPOSITION CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS ¶4. PRISONS OFFICER CHARGED ¶5. PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE ELECTION AND BOUNDARIES COMMISSION (EBC) -------------- -------------- PM MANNING MEETS WITH HAITI'S INTERIM PRIME MINISTER -------------- -------------- ¶1. On January 25, PM Manning, who is currently the Chairman of CARICOM met with Haiti's Interim Prime Minister Gerard Latortue at the Office of the Prime Minister to discuss a number of issues including matters related to Haiti's upcoming presidential election. Latortue, who was invited by Prime Minister Manning on a three-day visit to Trinidad, asked Manning for his moral support as the group's Chairman for a CARICOM observer team to monitor the upcoming Haitian election and for the restoration of normal CARICOM/Haiti relations. Latortue cut off Haiti's ties to Caricom shortly after president Jean Bertrand Aristide was ousted from power because the group refused to recognize Haiti's interim administration and supported calls for an international probe into allegations that the United States and France had conspired to force Aristide to resign. The group did not recognize Latortue, saying that he was not democratically elected to rule Haiti. -------------- -------------- JAMAAT-AL-MUSLIMEEN LEADER TO STAND TRIAL FOR TERRORISM -------------- -------------- ¶2. Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen extremist group responsible for the July 27, 1990 attempted coup, has been committed to stand trial for terrorism, incitement and sedition based on statements he made during his Eid-ul-Fitr sermon on November 4, 2005. (Reftel). Having been denied bail on several occasions, Bakr's attorneys argued that he should not be discriminated against because, like others, Bakr was entitled to his religious beliefs and the right of freedom of conscience. Reftel. Though Abu Bakr was also charged for possession of guns and ammunition after the police raided the mosque on November 10, the Trinidad Express reported on January 21, that the State has dropped those charges. No explanation was given for such a move. Bakr is the first to be charged under the Anti-terrorism Act since its tumultuous passage in Parliament in September ¶2005. ¶3. Bakr is also before the High Court on a murder conspiracy charge. In March 2005, Bakr was freed and a re- trial ordered after a nine-member jury failed to arrive at a unanimous verdict after deliberating for approximately four hours. Bakr was indicted in 2003 for conspiracy to murder two Jamaat-al-Muslimeen members who had been expelled from the group. -------------- -------------- OPPOSITION CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVERS -------------- -------------- ¶4. The Trinidad Guardian reported on January 20, that the United National Congress (UNC) intends to call for international observers for the next general election, due in 2007. UNC Vice Chairman Vasant Bharath announced at the party's executive meeting that he intends to write to the Carter Center and the CARICOM secretariat to register the party's concern about the 2002 election. Bharath said that party members and supporters believe the last election was not fair. ¶5. According to the representation of the people act, elections for local government positions are due this year and parliamentary elections are slated for 2007. Recently, PM Manning has been hinting at an early parliamentary election. -------------- PRISONS OFFICER CHARGED -------------- ¶6. The local media reported that a prison officer with ten years service was charged with the possession of marijuana with intent to sell inside the prison. PORT OF SP 00000152 002 OF 002 -------------- -------------- PRESIDENT APPOINTS NEW ELECTION AND BOUNDARIES COMMISSION CHAIRMAN -------------- -------------- ¶7. The President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago named Norbert Masson as the new Chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commission effective December 5, 2005. He will serve for five years. Dr. Masson was a member of the EBC prior to this promotion. ¶8. Former Chairman Oswald Wilson's five-year term came to an end in November 2005. However, he announced that he was not offering himself up for re-appointment by the President. Under his stewardship, the EBC came under fire by both the People's National Movement (PNM) and the (Opposition) United National Congress (UNC) in the last two parliamentary elections. The EBC was severely criticized for publishing an inaccurate voters list, for failure to register voters and for taking an inordinate length of time to produce identification cards. AUSTIN