State of emergency declared in TT
MOVEMENT for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah says the police should be clear and accountable to the public on matters related to the ongoing state of emergency (SoE).
The SoE was declared on December 30. The government said it was targeting the unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives.
There is no curfew and no restrictions on public meetings, marches or gatherings.
Speaking at a press conference on the morning of January 5, Abdulah said the average citizen felt like the SoE should have been implemented sooner.
He said reprisal killings and the use of illegal firearms are not new to Trinidad and Tobago.
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He said it could have been used "as a tool for the police to be able to address the murders quite some time before the end of 2024."
But he said there remains concerns "as to whether or not there will, in fact, be a more peaceful society with fewer guns" resulting from the SoE.
He believes there may be a "temporary reprieve but it will not result in a "total elimination."
He said the police must be accountable when telling the nation about the seizure of any illegal firearms.
"We need to know not only that you recovered five assault rifles, ten pistols and so on in a week, but also what does that represent in terms of the overall number of illegal weapons out there."
He said the police have a fair idea of how many potential illegal firearms may be in the country.
"We need to know," he said.
Without this accountability, he said, the SoE cannot be a success.
The Constitution mandates a SoE to initially be three months long, and a decision can be made to extend it.
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Abdulah says no matter how long it lasts, an important question is: What's next?
"Will the gangs have been dismantled? How many guns would have been recovered in that period? Will (there be) a reduction in violent crimes and fewer assault weapons and illegal weapons in the hands of criminal gangs?"
"That is really the concern," he added.
Abdulah also spoke about the Prime Minister's recent announcement that he will not seek re-election in the 2025 general election. He also said he will resign before the legal end of his term as prime minister.
Abdulah said the MSJ is not concerned with any speculations about who will replace Dr Rowley.
But he added that he found it "self-centred" that Rowley opted to accept a higher salary to "secure his pension" just before leaving office.
In November, Rowley announced that the government will be accepting the recommendations of the Salaries Review Commission (SRC).
This includes a salary increase for the Office of the Prime Minister which increased his salary from around $59,000 to $87,847.
Abdulah called the decision a "golden handshake for backpay."
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Asked for his opinion on members of the public who have asked for UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to follow suit, Abdulah said: That is a matter for them. We don't get involved in internal matters of other political parties.
