State of emergency declared in TT
THE National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) has raised concerns about the potential misuse of the state of emergency (SoE) regulations following the Prime Minister’s announcement of his impending resignation.
In a statement on January 4, NJAC also urged the security forces to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could suppress dissent or serve political interests.
“The National Joint Action Committee (NJAC) is calling on the security forces not to allow themselves to be used against the population by the Government to secure its political survival by suppressing any voices of dissent.”
The SoE declared in response to escalating gang violence, has given law enforcement sweeping powers, including detention without bail or access to habeas corpus, as stated by then-acting Attorney General Stuart Young.
NJAC fears these powers may be misused to target political opponents and stifle opposition during a volatile pre-election period.
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“It means, therefore, that the security forces have been given sweeping powers that have the potential to be misused against political opponents apart from criminal elements whom the State of Emergency is supposed to be targeting,” NJAC said.
Drawing parallels to the events of 1973 under then Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams, NJAC recalled instances of state forces allegedly harassing critics of the government following Williams’s brief resignation and return to office.
“NJAC is of the view that the current situation bears some similarity to that of 1973, when the then-Prime Minister, Dr. Eric Williams resigned as Prime Minister in response to widespread dissatisfaction amongst the population.
“Following Williams’s about-turn, back to office, the security forces, particularly the police, were used to carry out acts of harassment and persecution against those who were speaking out against the ills of the Government at the time, especially members of NJAC.”
NJAC called on the public to remain vigilant against potential abuse of SoE powers, emphasising the importance of balancing security measures with the protection of democratic rights.
The group warned against allowing history to repeat itself and stressed the need to ensure that regulations are not exploited for political expediency.
“NJAC, therefore, calls on the population whilst being alert to securing ourselves against any criminal activity, to be very vigilant against any attempt by the powers of the State to abuse the regulations of the SoE for political expediency. We must not allow history to repeat itself.”
