Kamla tells constituents: Put pressure on Government over crime, not menot her

IN the face of rising crime and angst over the Opposition constantly being blamed for contributing through its lack of support for legislation, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is standing her ground.

She is once again calling on citizens, including her constituents who have been violated by home invasions, to put pressure on the Government and demand they fix crime, and not on the Opposition as it is not in power.

“We have to light up the Government. We have to put pressure on the Government.”

She told "armchair politicians" not to sit in their homes and pontificate and leave the Government alone.

“We have to call on then to do the one thing a government is supposed to do – which is provide safety and security for its citizens.”

"If Government is unable to do that, she said they must call the general elections now,” she told the media on Wednesday at the Siparia Borough Corporation.

She was commenting on the rash of home invasions in her constituency which has left people quaking in fear.

Persad-Bissessar said the many laws on the statute book alone cannot deal with the issue without implementation and enforcement.

She again called for a holistic approach, by first splitting the massive Ministry of National Security into different ministries, including homeland security, as the present configuration is not working.

She said soon, the UNC will mobilise its troops to hold Government to account.

Sen Supt Richard Smith said the police were dealing with a situation where criminals were being arrested and taken to court, but were being granted bail and going back out on the streets to continue to plunder.

On Tuesday morning, a Penal Rock Road family was terrorised as bandits invaded their home and assaulted them before stealing valuables. Two suspects were held, from Las Lomas and Arima.

Resident of Penal Rock Road and former chamber president Rampersad Sieuraj was critical of his MP, Persad-Bissessar, who he said had not made their lives any better in spite of her many years as their representative.

Sieuraj said they were like sitting ducks in their homes, which had become their prisons, owing to the lack of consequences for their criminal action.

Persad-Bissessar also dismissed claims repeated by Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi on Tuesday, that while criminals were being caught, witnesses were reluctant to come to court. He ascribed some blame to the Opposition for its lack of support for legislation to treat with criminals.

She rejected his submission. “Al-Rawi has been crying that same cry for eight years. You cannot blame us for that.”

She said her party has supported numerous pieces of legislation in the fight against crime and will continue to support good law.

She said recommendations for proper witness protection have been advanced during earlier meetings with the Government, as the present laws need strengthening.

“But even within the existing witness protection programme, the Government is not doing what it is supposed to do to give that protection to witnesses.”

She said she could understand the reluctance of families to bear witness in the circumstances, as they risk life and limb.

“Witness protection is important in the fight against crime, but witness protection only kicks in after a person is dead, injured or property taken away.

“The Opposition is not to blame for that. We are not in Government. I am tired of the same, ‘Cry, cry, cry, Opposition to be blamed,’ when you have been there for eight years.”

She told the Government, “Stop looking in the rear-view mirror. You cannot govern watching backwards. You have to govern going forward.”

As Parliament is soon to reopen and in preparation for the next fiscal package, she has tasked her councillors and MPs to hold budget consultations throughout the country.