UNC has 'open mind' on SoE extension debate – though votes will not count

Opposition leader Kamla Persad Bissessar - Photo by Sureash Cholai
Opposition leader Kamla Persad Bissessar - Photo by Sureash Cholai

ALTHOUGH the opposition vote in Parliament will not make a difference as Government seeks a three-month extension of the state of emergency (SoE), the United National Congress (UNC) said it will go into Wednesday’s debate with an open mind.

Parliament will be recalled from recess on Wednesday to approve the motion, which requires a simple majority vote for an extension of the SoE declared by President Paula-Mae Weekes on May 15.

The extension would last until until November.

The Prime Minister is expected to move the motion.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar noted while the extension will be passed by a simple majority, her members still reserve the right to raise questions and concerns.

She questioned Dr Rowley’s explanation of an aggressive vaccine drive as justification, sayting vaccination is done during the day and that covid19 is not like the mythical creatures such as Dracula and the soucouyant, coming out at nights to do mayhem.

She said SoE has not accomplished the intended purpose of bringing down the number of covid cases and deaths,

“The data and science is not supporting the extension. In the debate on Wednesday, we want to hear what is the rationale for the extension. We want the data, not just what you think and feel. Tie it back to science, because you are curtailing fundamental rights and freedoms."

She alluded to the low number of covid deaths before the SoE and the "explosion" of deaths and cases during the emergency.

“We have questions and we remain attentive to hear what Government will share with us in the debate so we can take a decision.”

In the meantime, she called on the driving public to honk their horns and turn on their headlights to show disapproval, so the Opposition members can gauge a response as they go to Parliament on Wednesday, and better represent them.

She expressed suspicion that the rationale for the extension is more about control, for keeping the trade unions at bay and for Government to have an edge in the upcoming Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election.

“It seems the only reason has to be that you want control. We know that you are locking out trade unions from protesting and carrying out what they do under a democracy.

“We know you have THA election you want to call, so you want to stop the other side from campaigning. You will go out and campaign.

"Are you going to use this for control, controlling people who are dissatisfied with what you are doing?

Your seeking to extend the SoE has to do with the failure of your government to manage with competence or to manage at all."

Speaking at her party’s Monday night Virtual Report, Persad-Bissessar said there are five pieces of legislation governing what is happening in the pandemic period and these could be amended as the situation develops.

”I ask the Government, what extraordinary powers are you going to get from extending the SoE, when you already have public health regulations?”

She suggested that using people's breaking the curfew and hosting "freedom parties" to justify the extension was nothing more than a reason to restrict lives.

“What you are doing is putting all human rights and freedom in quarantine. You say you are doing this in the interest of balancing lives and livelihoods.

"Whilst you do that, you are locking down the business community, businesses have closed, people are out of jobs. Where is the balance?”

“The SoE is a fig leaf that you are seeking to hide behind. Funny enough, it is not a fig leaf, it is a very draconian law.”

Comments

"UNC has ‘open mind’ on SoE extension debate – though votes will not count"

More in this section