Kamla: SoE no use unless porous borders addressed

OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is telling the Prime Minister the state of emergency will have little or no effect if the "porous" borders are not closed to the free flow of illegal immigrants, especially those fleeing turbulent Venezuela.

“So now we have the SoE. This affects us in the internal space of Trinidad and Tobago, but without dealing with the porous borders, then we are in trouble. Because (of) the persons who are coming in illegally – not through the ports that you’ve closed down, not through the airport – but they are coming through other unprotected areas in our porous borders.”

Government has confirmed that the first reported case of the Brazilian variant, of which there are now 40 reported cases, was found in a Venezuelan immigrant.

“And therefore, the SoE, the lockdown, the curfew will have little, or maybe no effect unless you deal with the porous borders.”

Speaking during the UNC's Virtual Report on Monday night, Persad-Bissessar also expressed serious concern over the SoE regulations and sought clarification especially as to the grant of exemption for running political offices, such as those of MPs, councillors and the Opposition Leader.

She said there is uncertainty about where their work falls in terms of the definition of public spaces as outlined in the regulations.

“I am saying under Regulation 10 (c), while the sittings of the Parliament and the committees of the Parliament, whilst those services are allowed to be carried on, the work that the MPs do in their constituencies will not fall under (it). And if they do, again, clarify. It is uncertain, tt is vague, it is ambiguous.

“So, I am saying clarify, make it very clear, expressly provide that MPs offices, councillors’ offices, office of the Leader of the Opposition, that these offices, as public spaces, that they can be under an exemption.”

While provision has been made for Parliament, Persad-Bissessar argued, “As MPs we have an important function outside of the Parliament sittings, to service our constituents.

“Councillors also have that same job to do, (and the) Office of the Leader of the Opposition.”

She said these offices are public spaces but there is no express provision in the regulations allowing people to come to all these offices. Neither is there any clarification for staff at these offices.

“This will not affect just the UNC offices, you know. Not only UNC MPs, not only UNC councillors – it also affects the PNM councillors and PNM MPs...

“As elected MPs and councillors, we have an important role to play in a representative democracy...If these regulations do not expressly provide for the functions we carry out outside of the sittings of the Parliament, then we are in a bad place indeed. Democracy demands that these offices be allowed to operate and be given an express provision as being allowed.”