Panday sees no need for State of Emergency

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday briefly sided with the Government when he declared that no State of Emergency, limited or otherwise, will solve crime in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams said businessmen were willing to support the imposition of a limited State of Emergency in certain parts of the country in order to bring the crime situation under control, but Government did not feel that such action was warranted at this time. The first businessman to publicly advocate this strategy was First Citizens Bank chairman Ken Gordon, who is now chairman of the National Crime Committee. Prime Minister Patrick Manning has repeatedly said Government would not hesitate to implement a State of Emergency if it felt circumstances warranted one but Government does not believe a State of Emergency, limited or otherwise, was needed to deal with crime in TT.

Contacted yesterday, Panday told Newsday: “They (businessmen) are getting desperate and trying to find solutions. A State of Emergency is a very, very temporary measure and it will not solve crime.” The UNC leader explained that any State of Emergency required tremendous resources to maintain and had to end at some time. “What happens then?” Panday asked. Section 8 of the Constitution states the President issues a proclamation declaring a State of Emergency when a state of war exists between TT and a foreign state, in times of natural disaster or when action has been taken, or is immediately threatened, that would endanger a substantial portion of the community. Section 9 indicates that the State of Emergency, unless previously revoked, remains in effect “not later than 15 days from the date of the proclamation.”

Panday said he did not blame certain business people for feeling this way but lamented that local business people are still living in denial of the fact “that the PNM is the problem” where crime in TT is concerned. Panday said it was time to stop “putting paper over the cracks” and deal with the fundamental problems in the society. The UNC leader repeated his call for Government to urgently meet with the Opposition to discuss solutions to crime in the country.