Panday not meeting Manning on crime

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday declared that he was not interested in finding solutions to the crime situation in Trinidad and Tobago with Prime Minister Patrick Manning unless Manning is ready to talk constitutional reform.

The United National Congress (UNC) political leader made this statement yesterday even as leaders of several of the country’s business organisations met behind closed doors at Whitehall with Manning, National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee and Acting Police Commissioner Everald Snaggs to work out solutions to the nation’s crime problem. “I am not interested in this nonsense,” Panday declared. According to Panday, crime in the country today “is centred around a lack of constitutional reform in TT.” The UNC leader stated that the Opposition would only be prepared to discuss crime or any other issue affecting the country with the Government “when the Prime Minister is interested in constitutional reform.” 

Since the October 2002 general elections, the UNC has consistently alleged that the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) is in league with criminal elements and has refused to support key pieces of legislation (such as the Police Reform Bills) in Parliament until the Government undertakes constitutional reform in TT. Several of the business organisations which met yesterday at Whitehall have been calling upon the Government and Opposition to adopt a bi-partisan approach towards crime in the country.