00:00The opposition leader says after months of extraordinary emergency powers, Trinidad and Tobago should not still be presented with emergency
00:07-style solutions in reference to the Special Operations Bill.
00:11The opposition leader was responding to the Prime Minister's statement that if serious threats to the safety and security of
00:17citizens re-emerge, she will not hesitate to put the country under another SOE.
00:23Jewel Brown reports.
00:25Opposition leader Polenel P. Beckels said in a Facebook post that on the eve of the Senate debate of the
00:31Special Operations Bill this week,
00:33the Prime Minister has placed the people of Trinidad and Tobago in the position of having to choose between the
00:40devil and the deep blue sea.
00:42Opposition leader Beckels further said, quote,
00:44The message appears to be, accept these extraordinary powers or face another state of emergency.
00:50That is not a choice the people should be forced to make, end quote.
00:54The opposition leader was responding on Monday to Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Basasa's Facebook post on Saturday,
01:01that following what the Prime Minister declared to be the highly successful state of emergency,
01:06during which 3,552 people were charged on Friday night, the Special Operations Bill was passed in the House of
01:14Representatives.
01:15Prime Minister Passat-Basasa said, however, that if serious threats to the safety and security of citizens re-emerge,
01:22she will not hesitate to put the country under another state of emergency.
01:28The Special Operations Bill is meant to divide Trinidad into six policing districts,
01:33with Tobago to be the seventh policing district, in which closed areas can be established based on particular security concerns.
01:41Prime Minister Passat-Basasa said, the Special Operations Bill will be passed in the Senate without amendments.
01:49Opposition leader Beckels said in her response,
01:51that raises a fundamental question about the respect being afforded to Parliament,
01:56and particularly to the independent bench in the Senate.
02:00The opposition leader again called on the Prime Minister to tell the nation,
02:04who were the two independent Senators whom she previously accused of seeking personal favours
02:10in exchange for supporting legislation,
02:13in reference to the Zones of Special Operations Bill,
02:17which did not get the special majority it required.
02:21The Prime Minister said, quote,
02:23all law-abiding citizens support the Special Operations Bill,
02:27and are not bothered by the complaints from drug lords and their minions, end quote.
02:32The opposition leader said, quote,
02:34the Prime Minister cannot be both Commissioner and Prime Minister, end quote.
02:39Opposition leader Beckels added that after months of extraordinary emergency powers,
02:44Trinidad and Tobago should not still be presented with emergency-style solutions.
02:49The Special Operations Bill stipulates permits will be required for movement
02:53in and out of a closed area where curfew can be declared,
02:57along with expanded search and seizure powers instituted by law enforcement,
03:03with assistance from the military if requested by the police commissioner.
03:08However, the government insists the bill includes judicial oversight.
03:13The opposition leader said,
03:14Trinidad and Tobago needs security with liberty, accountability, parliamentary independence,
03:19constitutional safeguards and a comprehensive, measurable and sustainable national strategy
03:25against violent crime.
03:27The government has said the Special Operations Bill only requires a simple majority vote.
03:33Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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