President Irfaan Ali yesterday announced the long-awaited Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the attempted rigging of the March 2nd 2020 general elections and the probe will be headed by retired Trinidad Justice of Appeal Stanley John.
Approaching two years after the inquiry had been promised on August 8th 2020, the announcement by the President will shine the spotlight on blatant acts of rigging such as the reading of fake numbers from Statements of Poll and use of a bedsheet which frustrated the validation process. It took five months before the final result could be declared.
Several key electoral officials – including Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield and District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo are before the court on criminal charges but the trials are yet to get underway.