00:00And it is not that because we declare a state of emergency that the planning and execution
00:07of murder will end.
00:09My last reporting appears to be about 11 or 12 persons have been murdered during the state
00:14of emergency.
00:16Fundamental differences outlined by both sides of the political divide in the House of Representatives
00:22as it debated two motions on the state of emergency that took effect in Trinidad and
00:27Tobago on December 30th, 2024.
00:30Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley piloted both motions.
00:33So to say that we are in a state of emergency and they killed somebody, that is not the
00:38best way to look at it, Madam Speaker.
00:40The Prime Minister referred to the initial period for the SOE.
00:44My colleague may enter the debate and give us some numbers to see whether in fact there
00:49has been any amelioration in the behavior of the violent few.
00:56And if there has been, then one can only assume that it has been as a result of the
01:01action that we have taken.
01:04And if that is so, Madam Speaker, we may want to take that action for a bit longer.
01:09It is too early, Madam Speaker, to say that it has been successful, so we close the door
01:14after 15 days.
01:15The first motion called on the lower house to take note of the statement by the President
01:19setting out the specific grounds on which the decision to declare the existence of the
01:25state of public emergency was based.
01:28Opposition leader Kamala Basarabassa read excerpts of the President's statement, which
01:32made reference to one murder in front of the Besan Street police station and the murders
01:37of five people, which law enforcement identified as reprisal killings, as well as reference
01:43to intelligence of the potential for more reprisal killings that posed a threat to public
01:49safety.
01:50The opposition leader told the lower house there are inconsistencies in the statement
01:54by the President to the Parliament and the reasons the government had given for the state
01:59of emergency, and the opposition leader said this could be challenged in a court of law.
02:04Here we are after 600 plus murders.
02:08On that day, just before what we call the oldest day, New Year's Eve, the cabinet decided,
02:13look, too much is too much.
02:16Why then?
02:18Is it that only because it was one gang fighting another gang?
02:21Was it done to protect the gang members or was it done to protect the people of Suriname
02:26and the people?
02:28Prime Minister Rawley responded directly to that question from the opposition leader.
02:32We be accused of declaring an emergency to protect the criminals from one.
02:42That manner of speaking is an offensive statement and I reject it out of hand.
02:53I don't even want to say it's politics because that is bad politics.
02:56The Prime Minister, who chairs the National Security Council, also sought to make clear
03:00the threat being faced by law enforcement.
03:03It has come to my attention in some districts, some instances, police officers, whose job
03:10it is to protect us and to secure us, in some districts at night, are so afraid of
03:18the criminals that they close the police station door, turn off the light, and be inside there
03:26hoping that the criminals don't come at them.
03:28However, the Prime Minister also pointed out the dangers that the police face with regard
03:34to criminal gangs in particular.
03:37They have power.
03:39They believe they can engage law enforcement officers in shootouts and sometimes they kill
03:47law enforcement officers and sometimes law enforcement officers are forced to defend
03:53themselves by killing them.
03:55The opposition leader made reference to the Prime Minister's announcement that he would
03:58not be seeking re-election in the next general election and would be resigning as Prime Minister
04:03before the end of that term of office.
04:06Now, as on the eve of your retirement, you finally decide, let's drop the state of emergency.
04:12We need something drastic.
04:14But what troubles me, up to this point, yes, SOE, there's nothing, no plans, no policies
04:19or programs post-SOE.
04:21The second motion, piloted by the Prime Minister, is seeking the approval of the lower house
04:26for a three-month extension of the state of emergency.
04:30Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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