Voters back Kamla's decision to hold LGE on time

A poll by the the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) states that voters in Trinidad overwhelmingly support the decision by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to hold the Local Government Election (LGE) on time.

There had been speculation that the PM would postpone the vote but she insisted that it must be held when constitutionally due because of a pledge she had made to voters.

Pollster Visnu Bisram told JYOTI 90 per cent of respondents "saluted" Persad-Bissessar for "respecting electoral democracy and called the elections when due".

Bisram said he interviewed 425 voters representing the demographics of the country.

The poll, which has a four per cent margin of error, also supported the government's plan for electoral reform, including the amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act to introduce Proportional representation to elect aldermen for the councils. 

However Bisram said a majority of voters said they don't fully understand how the PR system would work. The support for PR was: 54% in favour, 26 against and 20 percent not sure.

NACTA also surveyed voters on their preferences for members of cabinet, rating their level of performance.

The poll said the best performing ministers are Roodal Moonilall, Vasanth Bharath, Errol McLeod,  Fazal Karim, Glenn Ramadharsingh, Lincoln Douglas, Rudy Indarsingh, Suruj Rambachan, Fuad Khan, Clifton DeCoteau, and Tim Gopeesingh.

The top three performers, according to Nacta, are Moonilal (19%), Bharath (17%) and Ramadharsingh (16%).