A contentious parliamentary session unfolded in Trinidad and Tobago’s House of Representatives as opposition MP Keith Scotland (Port of Spain South) sharply criticized the government’s handling of proposed electoral boundary adjustments for Tobago. The Draft EBC Local Boundaries and Tobago Order 2025, which proposes renaming two Tobago electoral districts from Bagatelle/Bacolet and Mason Hall/Moriah to Mason Hall South/Bagatelle and Mason Hall North/Moriah, was presented to Parliament on December 4th despite being submitted to Rural Development Minister Khadijah Ameen on August 29th.
Scotland accused the government of acting at “the 11th hour,” suggesting the delayed presentation resembled “a thief in the night” and questioning why three months elapsed before parliamentary consideration. He emphasized that Minister Ameen was constitutionally obligated under Section 72(3) to submit the report “as soon as may be” after receipt, even if concerns required subsequent addressing.
Minister Ameen defended the timeline, revealing that her ministry identified 29 substantive errors and 440 misplaced addresses in the original EBC report that necessitated rectification. “We have a duty to ensure that the report brought before Parliament was one of integrity,” she stated, detailing meetings with election officials throughout November to resolve these discrepancies.
The debate revealed broader political tensions, with Scotland questioning the necessity of name changes for districts experiencing minimal boundary adjustments while larger demographic shifts elsewhere went unaddressed. Tobago East MP David Thomas countered by recalling the previous administration’s expansion of Tobago electoral districts from 12 to 15 following a six-six tie in the Tobago House of Assembly elections, suggesting partisan motivations behind boundary changes.
Minister Ameen highlighted historical precedents where the former PNM government delayed EBC report submissions for nearly a year, accusing Scotland of “pure hypocrisy” in his criticisms. She affirmed that all adjustments were completed within legal timeframes to ensure the recommendations could be implemented for upcoming elections.
The order was ultimately passed by the House of Representatives, with THA Deputy Chief Secretary Dr. Faith Brebnor previously characterizing the changes as minor administrative adjustments rather than substantial electoral reforms.