PM: SoE not needed to win elections

THE Prime Minister rejected Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar's claims that the state of emergency (SoE) was being extended for another three months to give the PNM an advantage in the next Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election, which could take place later this year.

Dr Rowley did so on Wednesday as he opened debate on a motion in the House of Representatives to extend the SoE by a further three months. The motion was passed without Opposition support.

Persad-Bissessar made her claim during a UNC virtual meeting on Monday.

The SoE took effect from midnight on May 15. Without parliamentary approval, the SoE would have remained in effect until May 29. The House sat on May 24 and approved a three-month extension from May 29 to August 29.

Referring to Persad-Bissessar's claims, but not mentioning her by name, Rowley said, "I have (heard) some of my parliamentary colleagues and my erstwhile parliamentary colleagues and political colleagues (saying) that this has to do with elections.

"Let the record show...that there was a general election due in 2020...and there was no SoE." Rowley added, “We went into a general election (on August 10, 2020) without using SoE for election purposes and we won it (22-19)."

At a post-Cabinet news conference at the Prime Minister's official residence in Blenheim, Tobago on July 22, Rowley announced that Tobago will return to the polls to break the six-six deadlock which arose from the January 25 THA election.

He said then, Cabinet approved the proclamation of the THA (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on February 19 and by the Senate on March 2, and assented to by President Paula-Mae Weekes on March 16). The bill was proclaimed into law on July 26.

Within 90 days of this date, Rowley said the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) will be required to present a report to Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein with a report outlining the boundaries of the 15 electoral districts that the legislation proposes.

He explained the Parliament will be required to approve an order and associated statement laid by Hosein to establish the new electoral boundaries for the 15 districts.

Rowley said once approved by the House, there is a 60- 90 day window within which the THA election can be called.

He also recalled that when Trinidad and Tobago closed its borders last March to curb the spread of covid19 "all kinds of accusations were made against the Government..some ridiculous..some self-seeking and self-serving."

Rowley said, "We were doing nothing that other countries had not done."

He cited examples such as one bridge being open between the United States and Canada and Australia telling its citizens in India not to come home during the pandemic or they would be fined, to support his argument. "Up to now, Australia is still ferrying people..tens of thousands of people..outside, who could not come home for the last year."

Recalling there were people encouraging Government last year to reopen the borders, Rowley said Government did bring people home in a structured manner. He added, "We sent money outside for those who were destitute. You will never hear that."

When the borders were reopened in July, Rowley said there was no mass influx of TT nationals into the country. He said this was because "the pressure that was being brought on the Government about persons being stateless and wanting to come home...it was organised and largely contrived." He added, "We will live with that. We have been living with that.

Rowley said the same border protocols being criticised by the Government's critics, prevented three people who were later diagnosed with the covid19 delta variant from mixing with the rest of the population. Had that not happened, Rowley said Trinidad and Tobago "could now be in the hands of the delta variant."

From last January to now, Rowley said Government had good reason behind all the measures it took to protect the population against covid19 and has been fully accountable about its management of covid19, through a plethora of news conferences and other initiatives.

He reiterated one of the main objectives the SoE is to reduce the possibilities for public congregation (such as socialisation and partying) at night either in public places or in private settings amongst families, as both scenarios provided opportunities for covid19 to spread. Rowley said this is the only inconvenience people are being asked to endure through an SoE extension. He reminded the population the world living in unusual times and is in a dangerous place, because of covid19.

Rowley also said contrary to claims by some people, TT has one of the best covid19 vaccination programmes in the Caribbean region.