Trinidad & Tobago Parliament approves extension of State of Emergency

Trinidad & Tobago’s Parliament Monday night, unanimously approved a three-month extension of the state of emergency (SOE), following a day of debate between the government and opposition over the escalating crime surge in the country.

Earlier, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar questioned the timing of the SOE, implemented by President Christine Kangaloo on December 30, 2024, and called for fresh general elections.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley, in his motion for the extension, argued that the 15 days since the SOE was declared were insufficient to make a significant impact on crime. He emphasized that the government had increased support from the Trinidad & Tobago Defence Force, allowing for more ground coverage, extended interrogation times, and greater efforts to convert information into evidence.

Rowley asserted, “We need more time,” stressing that the goal was to detain criminals and reduce their ability to harm innocent citizens.

The prime minister defended the SOE decision, noting that his administration had never ruled out such a measure, though he reiterated his opposition to imposing a curfew due to its negative impact on small and medium-sized businesses. He dismissed Persad-Bissessar’s assertion that the current administration was responsible for over 5,000 deaths since 2015, and disagreed with her claim that an earlier SOE would have saved lives, calling it “conjecture.”

He added that the 2011 SOE did not fully address criminal behavior, emphasizing that crime was a serious issue requiring more than just finger-pointing.

The Rowley administration also rejected opposition member Saddam Hosein’s argument that the SOE merely replicated existing laws, dismissing it as an election stunt ahead of upcoming polls. Energy Minister Stuart Young, who served as acting attorney general during the initial SOE announcement, clarified that the SOE regulations granted police broader powers, including search, seizure, and stop-and-search without warrants, powers not available under existing legislation such as the Firearms and Anti-Gang Acts. He defended these actions as essential to ensuring public safety. -(CMC)