MSJ EXPLAINS REASONS FOR DECLINING 2025 GE

The Movement for Social Justice in its Tuesday talks program explains its reason for stepping back from the 2025 General election.

Transcript

00:00The government was not fully prepared in executing the state of emergency, says MSJ political

00:06leader David Abdullah.

00:07They weren't ready until maybe six, seven o'clock in the evening, which was not a good

00:12thing because there was a gap between the proclamation and us knowing precisely what

00:18the state of emergency would require under the regulations.

00:23And then I think the penalties were identified and gazetted the day afterwards.

00:28The government itself seemed to be in two minds about the reasons for the state of emergency

00:38because then Attorney General Acting Stuart Young said it is to specifically deal, and

00:44the wording of the proclamation was to specifically deal with the threat of reprisal killings.

00:50And though murders are down, he says the SOE is not as effective as the public anticipated.

00:57When the state of emergency comes to an end, the guys will simply go for the weapons that

01:01they had hidden wherever and start killing people again.

01:06So it's a short-term measure, and unless the police are able to have persons who are engaged

01:16in gangs and violent crime actually charged and before the court, and those persons are

01:24found guilty, then in fact the state of emergency would just have been a temporary reprieve.

01:30As it relates to this year's general election, the MSJ two weeks ago announced it will not

01:34be casting, and no, Abdullah says it's not because of the alliance some unions have had

01:40with the opposition UNC.

01:42So for us, we are taking one step backward to make two steps forward.

01:50So we're taking one step backward from the electoral dimension of politics, because politics

01:55is not only about elections.

01:57It's about fighting for and struggling and pursuing one's interests in order to strengthen

02:03ourselves.

02:04The political leader says even he is unsure of what the outcome of this election is likely

02:09to be, but he's sure there will be a place for the MSJ thereafter.

02:14A week is going to be a long time in politics this year, but it is a consequential year,

02:19and I think that after this election, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago will be even clearer

02:28in their minds that they need fundamental change.

02:33They need a different kind of leadership and a different kind of politics, and hopefully

02:38the MSJ will be able to strengthen ourselves.

02:41Also commanding on the inauguration of Donald Trump earlier this week, Abdullah says it

02:46doesn't necessarily spout smooth sailing for the Caribbean.

02:50Trump in his last incarnation as president did not meet with CARICOM as a bloc.

02:57He met with individual CARICOM heads, Jamaica, Bahamas, at that time St. Lucia when Kastner

03:03was there, and one or two others, and that divided CARICOM.

03:09And so what one has to be concerned about is him doing that again, meeting with people

03:15he wants to meet with, and they countering to Trump in that regard, and therefore undermining

03:20the unity of CARICOM.

03:22Arvishi Tamwari, Rupanurain, TV6 News.