Constitution bill would give T&T ruling coalition unfair advantage –PNM

(Trinidad Express) Once the People’s National Movement (PNM) is voted into office they will immediately repeal the Constitu-tion (Amendment) Bill, 2014 if it is passed in the Upper House, Opposition Senator Camille Robinson-Regis has said.

Robinson-Regis made the statement Wednesday night during her contribution to Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 in the Senate.

Robinson-Regis said the amendments proposed in the bill were aimed at giving the People’s Partner-ship an “unfair advantage” in the upcoming general election.

She likened it to a situation where the rules in cricket were changed to stymie the dominance of West Indies fast bowlers.

“They came up with an entirely new set of rules and the effect of that was to tame the West Indies team that had been destroying every team in its way,” Robinson-Regis said.

She said the bowling rules and the fact that West Indies players could not participate in County cricket in England both led to the “breakdown” of the regional team’s performances.

“They changed the rules in order to gain an advantage and what we are seeing here (the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2014 is a change of rules in order to gain a supposed advantage,” Robinson-Regis said.

“Just as before the local government elections they changed the rules in terms of the aldermen in order to try and gain an advantage,” she said.

Robinson-Regis said the PNM does not need an “unfair advantage”.

“As I stand here tonight we of the PNM say, and I am saying this without fear of contradiction, they could change the rules, they could call elections, they could do what they want, the People’s National Movement will win the next general election,” Robinson-Regis said.