00:00Prime Minister Kamala Pesad-Besessa said on the social media platform X that the business of the people of Trinidad
00:05and Tobago remains her priority as she posted photos of her having chaired the weekly cabinet meeting at the Diplomatic
00:11Center on Thursday following her return on Wednesday night from what she called the historic and highly successful Shield of
00:19the Americas Summit in Florida.
00:21Prime Minister Pesad-Besessa further said on X that on Friday, quote, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago meets as
00:28we continue our work in service to all, end quote.
00:32On the order paper, Friday's sitting of the House of Representatives are two motions regarding the new state of emergency
00:38in Trinidad and Tobago which were on the order paper last Friday but were not debated.
00:44The first motion calls on the House to take note of the statement by the President under Section 9-1
00:50of the Constitution setting out the specific grounds on which the decision to declare the existence of a state of
00:56public emergency was based.
00:59The second motion calls on the House to approve a three-month extension of the state of emergency which took
01:05effect from March 3rd.
01:07On Thursday, the opposition called on the government to debate the motions for the new state of emergency which took
01:13effect without a curfew or any limitations on public gatherings.
01:17However, the opposition has expressed concerns about the new SOE regulations where issues such as freedom of speech are concerned.
01:24The opposition also notes that the SOE tribunal is yet to be established.
01:29The motions for the SOE are in the name of the Attorney General.
01:32Last Friday's proceedings of the lower house ended at 4.30 p.m. after the government brought an end to
01:39an opposition motion on the socioeconomic impact of increased unemployment using Standing Order 52-1.
01:46The opposition walked out in protest and has since dismissed the government's claim that the motion was frivolous.
01:52Chief Whip Marvin Gonzalez has written to House Speaker Jagdio Singh about the opposition's concerns on that matter.
01:59Leader of the House and Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath said in a statement on Thursday that Standing Order 52
02:06-1 is not some sinister invention of the current government.
02:10Minister Padarath said it is part of the long-standing rules of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago and exists
02:16precisely to allow debate to be brought a vote when the House decides the matter has been sufficiently ventilated.
02:24Having recalled when Standing Order 52-1 was used by the former PNM administration in January 21 to bring an
02:32end to a motion raised by the then-opposition leader,
02:35Minister Padarath said there was no outrage, no walkout, no accusations of dictatorship, and no dramatic speeches about the death
02:43of democracy by the then-UNC opposition.
02:47Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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