MPS DEBATE SoE EXTENSION

CCNTV6

The debate on the motions for the State of Emergency continued on Monday evening with other members of the Government and the Opposition making their contributions.  One Opposition MP questioned the timing of the SoE and an event in Tobago.  But Stuart Young offered a strong dismissal of that claim.  Juhel Browne reports.

Transcript

00:00Barataria San one MP Saddam Hussein told the house on Monday that even after the

00:05state of emergency was declared the murders continued. I just want to express

00:12my deepest condolences to the family of Kumari Bach an attorney at law my

00:19colleague a person who was in law school with me who was brutally murdered at a

00:27Komoto residence together with her loving husband while the state of

00:32emergency was in effect. MP Hussein said the nation had to wait for the

00:37regulations of the SOE to be published. The evening before this state of

00:43emergency was announced on the Monday there was a big line in Tobago at the

00:47Prime Minister's residence in Tobago Madam Speaker big line several persons

00:53were invited Madam Speaker I don't know if it's being a big wigs or not but

00:56Madam Speaker a couple hours later they then find this information a we need to

01:01call office we need to call a state of emergency. Madam Speaker this state of

01:05emergency was not well thought out it was not planned properly and it is not

01:10being executed properly. Energy Minister Stuart Young was the acting

01:14Attorney General when the state of emergency first took effect. He told the

01:19lower house that the state of emergency was called to deal with a major threat

01:23posed by criminal gangs and others with illegal firearms and ammunition. It would

01:29be most unfortunate and it would be a dereliction of my duty not to correctly

01:33record because I sat here and listened in amazement to the thumping of deaths

01:38when the member for Barataria Sour spoke with delight in his voice about certain

01:44prime ministerial activities that took place the evening before in appreciation

01:50at the end of year that had been planned for weeks in advance but this is

01:53a government that can move on its feet this is a government that can process

01:57information and take serious decisions to protect the population. The Energy

02:03Minister told the Parliament what happened shortly after midnight on

02:06December 30th. This is a government that was able to get a cabinet note done a

02:12cabinet approved and her excellency the president to then consider what was put

02:17before her that forms the basis of the decision to declare a state of emergency.

02:23Minister Young said in the president's office responded to the government at

02:262.30 that morning with a proclamation which the National Security Minister

02:32immediately sent to the Police Commissioner and the Chief of Defence

02:36staff. Jule Brown TV6 News

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended