By Sue-Ann Wayow
A PETITION of the Candelight Movement with more than 128,000 signatures was delivered to the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday.
The Candlelight Movement, born out of outrage of the murders of young women, had issued a petition asking for citizens’ signatures in support of a safer Trinidad and Tobago.
That petition was able to garner 128,500 signatures including that of people from other organisations and political parties sending another strong message to the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) that “enough is enough,” one supporter said.
Lighting a candle for murdered persons became a signature symbol for the movement which has since been very vocal against the crime and other issues of national importance. The movement was galvanised after the body of 23-year-old court clerk Andrea Bharatt was found a week after she went missing earlier this year.
The national petition was launched in March following the gruesome killings of Ashanti Riley and Andrea Bharatt.
The petition is seeking to have:
- The decriminalisation of weapons such as pepper spray and tasers;
- Fast-tracking the use of firearms for women;
- The regulation of the “PH” driver system;
- A commission of enquiry into the criminal justice system; and
- Systemic regulation of the issuance of motor vehicle licences.
The petition has been delivered to the Parliament which is housed at the Red House in Port-of-Spain. This was confirmed by member of the movement Phillip Edward Alexander. He told AZPNews.com, “Phase one is complete.”
Phase one consisted of putting together the petition, having it signed and delivered.
Phase two, he said, would consist of putting pressure on the Government, the Opposition and the country at large for the five issues to be part of the legislative agenda.
Several people gathered to show support to the movement’s agenda including the mother of six-year-old Sean Luke, who was brutally murdered in 2006, Pauline Lumfai and Randolph Bharatt, the father of Andrea.
Avonelle Hector-Joseph, of non-profit organisation, Is There Not a Cause (ITNAC), also supported.
“The women of this country do not have a feeling of safety and security,” one supporter said.
Another supporter said it was clear that the Candlelight Movement was not protesting outside of Parliament.
The supporter said, “This is a simple process to deliver the signatures of 128,500 citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, authentic physical signatures. This was not an online petition.”
The individual said the reason the online petition was not used was that the movement did not want anyone to say signatures were garnered from people across the world.
