00:00Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa posted photos of her chairing the weekly meeting of her cabinet on Thursday
00:06as the supplemental order paper for Friday's sitting of the House of Representatives
00:10confirmed government and opposition MPs will debate two motions regarding the new state of emergency in Trinidad and Tobago.
00:18The supplemental order paper was published on the Parliament's website.
00:22Both motions are in the name of the Attorney General.
00:24The first motion states that be it resolved that the House take note of the statement by the President
00:30under Section 9-1 of the Constitution setting out the specific grounds on which the decision to declare the existence
00:38of a state of emergency was based.
00:40The second motion states that the President has by proclamation made on the second day of March 2026
00:47declared that a state of public emergency exists in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
00:52with effect from Tuesday, 3rd March 2026.
00:56The motion also states that it is enacted by Section 9-2 of the Constitution
01:01that a proclamation made by the President for the purposes of and in accordance with Section 8
01:06shall, unless previously revoked, remain in force for 15 days.
01:11Friday's sitting of the House of Representatives is occurring three days after the new state of emergency took effect.
01:16The government's motion further states that it is enacted by Section 10-1 of the Constitution
01:22that before its expiration, the proclamation may be extended from time to time
01:27by resolutions supported by a simple majority vote of the House of Representatives,
01:31so, however, that no extension exceeds three months
01:35and the extensions do not in the aggregate exceed six months.
01:40The UNC-led government commands more than a simple majority in the House of Representatives.
01:45The government's motion notes that it is necessary and expedient
01:49that the proclamation made by the President on the second day of March 2026
01:54declaring that a state of public emergency exists in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
01:59with effect from Tuesday, 3rd March 2026
02:02should be extended by a further period not exceeding three months.
02:07The motion then declares, quote,
02:09Now, therefore, be it resolved that the proclamation made by the President on the second day of March 2026
02:16declaring that a state of public emergency exists in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
02:20with effect from Tuesday, 3rd March 2026
02:23be extended for a further period of three months, end quote.
02:27That means that the new state of emergency
02:30shall be initially extended until early June of this year.
02:35The new state of emergency took effect without a curfew or limitations on public gatherings.
02:40Prime Minister Kamala Posada said in a statement on Tuesday
02:43that this measure is consistent with her administration's
02:46zero-tolerance approach to crime and criminal gangs.
02:49However, opposition leader Penelope Beckles and her party, the PNM,
02:53have expressed concerns about the new SOE regulations
02:57such as issues regarding freedom of speech and expression.
03:01The Prime Minister and her Cabinet responded to criticisms
03:05saying that law-abiding citizens should have nothing to fear
03:08from the expanded powers granted to the police and the military under the SOE.
03:13Friday's debate for the three-month extension of the SOE
03:17shall occur the day before Prime Minister Passat-Bissessor
03:21is due to be in Florida for the Shield of America's summit
03:24being chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump.
03:28Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:32Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:32Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:32Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:33Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:33Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
03:33Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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