PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jan 13, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley Monday defended the decision of the President Christine Kangaloo to declare a state of emergency (SoE) late last month, even as Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar questioned the timing of the measure to curb criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago.
Rowley, tabling a motion taking note of the statement by President Kangaloo, setting out the specific grounds on which the decision to declare the existence of a state of public emergency was based, said the country is facing “ a serious state of continuing violence”.
He told legislators that a “relatively small number of people with great frequency resort to violence” over the years and that “these people have improved their ability to psyche out the country with violent acts”.
On December 30, the President declared the SoE following a gun battle outside a police station in the heart of the capital that left several people dead and Rowley said those criminals were now able to improve their killing machine and to kill more people, despite millions being spent on dealing with crime.
“The violent criminal element decided if you want that we will show you what we can do,” Rowley said of the criminals response to the programmes, questioning “what respect do they have for human life.
(Details inn Politics section)
CMC/2025