The Elections and Boundaries Commission’s March 27, 2014 report recommends boundary adjustments for Couva North, Couva South, Diego Martin West, Diego Martin Central, Diego Martin North/East, Port-of-Spain South, Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West, San Fernando East, San Fernando West and Oropouche East to accommodate the redistribution of polling divisions.
The EBC, in its report, says the electorate stands at 1,040,462 in Trinidad and 47,319 in Tobago. Band parametres for Trinidad stand at 29,347 electors (the permissible upper limit), 26,679 the average, and 24,011 (the permissible lower limit); whereas in Tobago, 26,026 electors make up the permissible upper limit, 23,660 the average, and 21,294 the permissible lower limit.
The commission stated that the report data shows that Couva North and Diego Martin West are above the permissible upper limit and Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West, Port-of-Spain South, San Fernando West and San Fernando East fall below the permissible lower limit. It explained that Couva North has an electorate of 29,355, with 40 polling divisions, which is above the permissible limit.
Couva North changes
The EBC is proposing to move polling division 3115, located at Exchange RC School, Southern Main Road, Couva, to within the Couva South boundaries.
“A total electorate of 526 would be transferred from Couva North to Couva South, reducing Couva North electorate to 28,829 and number of polling divisions to 39 which would fall within the permissible upper limit,” the report stated.
The Couva South electorate, the report added, “would be increased to 28,069, which is below the permissible upper limit and its corresponding polling division was increased by one to 37.”
Diego Martin changes
It is proposing that polling division 0125 at the Diego Martin North Secondary School, in the Diego Martin North/East seat, with an electorate of 583, be added to Diego Martin West, increasing the electorate to 30,017 and the number of polling divisions to 49.
It is proposing polling division 0066 at Simeon Road Community Centre, Petit Valley-two polling stations with an electorate of 773, be removed from Diego Martin West and added to Diego Martin Central, which has an electorate of 28,555 and 41 polling divisions.
The resulting change would have “an overall net electorate of 29,244 and a reduction of polling divisions to 48 in Diego Martin West; and an increase in the electorate of Diego Martin Central to 29,328 and in the number of its polling divisions by one to 42.”
As a consequence of the removal of polling division 0125 from Diego Martin North/East, the constituency’s electorate of 29, 114 and 45 polling divisions were reduced to 28,531 and 44 respectively.
The EBC said it became necessary to transfer polling divisions 0190 and 0195 at Boissiere Village RC School, with a combined total of 838 electors from Diego Martin North/East to Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West, adjusting the boundaries of the latter, because its electorate of 23, 364 was below the minimum permissible limit.
The electorate of Diego Martin North/East will be reduced to 27, 693 and the number of polling divisions to 42. The changes now take Diego Martin West to an electorate of 29, 244 with 48 polling divisions and Diego Martin Central to an electorate of 29, 328 and 42 polling divisions. Diego Martin North/East will now have an electorate of 27,692 and 42 polling divisions.
Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West changes
The EBC proposed the transfer of polling divisions 0190 and 0195 at Boissiere Village RC School, with 715 and 123 electorates respectively, from Diego Martin North/East to Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West, increasing the electorate to 24, 472 and polling divisions to 60.
Polling division 0680 at the Port-of-Spain City Corporation - with an electorate of 212 in Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West - was transferred to the constituency of Port-of-Spain South, reducing the electorate to 24, 260 and the number of polling divisions to 59.
San Fernando West changes
In San Fernando West polling divisions 4055 and 4060, both located at Coffee Street Boys’ Anglican School, with 514 and 227 electors respectively, are to be transferred to San Fernando East, which has an electorate of 23,501 and 44 polling divisions.
“This results in San Fernando West having a revised electorate of 24,587 and 55 polling divisions and San Fernando East with an electorate of 22, 760 and 42 polling divisions.
Polling divisions 3860 at St Charles Community Centre, 3872 at Ste Madeleine Government School and 3905 at the Petite Morne Community Centre a total of 1907 electors are to be transferred from the constituency of Oropouche East, which has an electorate of 28, 702 and 23 polling divisions, to San Fernando East. This increases the San Fernando East electorate to 24, 667 and polling divisions to 45. Oropouche East would be reduced to 26,795 and 20 polling divisions.