OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar condemned the recent State of Emergency (SOE) declared by the government, labelling it a politically motivated manoeuvre ahead of the general election.
According to Persad-Bissessar, the SOE is a “shameless act of political gimmickry” rather than a genuine effort to ensure public safety.
Prime Minister’s Absence Questioned
In a statement on Monday, Persad-Bissessar noted the absence of Prime Minister Keith Rowley from the press conference, accusing him of choosing leisure activities over addressing the nation during a crisis. She criticized his lack of leadership amidst a year marked by over 625 murders, questioning his commitment to tackling the country’s crime wave.
She said, “This SOE’s lack of seriousness is evident as Rowley did not find it important to attend the press conference to address citizens but chose to golf in Tobago and enjoy the 50 million taxpayer dollars for feteing and rum drinking.”
Ministerial Contradictions and Confusion
The Opposition Leader drew attention to the contradictory statements made by Ministers Fitzgerald Hinds and Stuart Young regarding the reasons for the SOE. Hinds cited 2024’s crime statistics, while Young pointed to recent incidents involving high-caliber weapons. Persad-Bissessar argued that this inconsistency reflects the government’s disorganised approach.
She said, “The Ministers—widely despised as failures—then proceeded to give lengthy, rambling statements of why this measure was implemented during the country’s busiest social, economic, and tourism period, just at the beginning of the Carnival 2025 season.”
She said, “The Ministers—widely despised as failures—then proceeded to give lengthy, rambling statements of why this measure was implemented during the country’s busiest social, economic, and tourism period, just at the beginning of the Carnival 2025 season.”
Critique of Government’s Decision-Making
The manner in which the SOE was announced—via a suspect press release—was criticised as indicative of the government’s “disastrous, confused, dismissive” modus operandi. The subsequent press conference was described as an effort to legitimize what many initially believed to be fake news.
Failure to Address Crime
Persad-Bissessar accused the government of failing to develop a cohesive plan to combat crime over the past decade. She argued that the sudden SOE was a desperate attempt to regain public confidence before elections, questioning why action was only taken now despite years of escalating violence.
Call for Change
The Opposition Leader reiterated her call for a State of Emergency earlier in the year, claiming it could have prevented many of the year’s murders. She urged voters to support the United National Congress (UNC) in the upcoming elections, promising that a UNC government would implement a comprehensive plan to tackle crime effectively and restore safety to Trinidad and Tobago.
