No rift over crime

JOHN DONALDSON, PNM vice-chairman yesterday admitted that many PNM members were greatly concerned at the level of serious crime in the country, but he gave the assurance that Government is doing everything to deal with the problem. Donaldson was speaking with members of the media following yesterday’s general council meeting in San Fernando. He denied that there was any rift in the party over the Government’s anti-crime efforts so far. Donaldson in response to media questions with reference to a reported rift, stated, “those are your words not mine.”

Donaldson explained that several PNM members expressed concern that the PNM, as a party and the Government, seemed not to be doing enough to combat crime. Also at yesterday’s general council were Ambassador Plenipotentiary Jerry Narace and general council secretary, Rose Janiere. “Some people admitted that the party was not addressing the issue. Some felt we could do more but there is no split,” Donaldson told members of the media following the meeting held in the San Fernando East constituency office, Coffee Street. Prime Minister Patrick Manning and party chairman Franklyn Khan, reportedly in Tobago on government business, did not attend.  He disclosed that a committee of which Dr Cuthbert Joseph was chairman, had been mandated to commission a research on the solutions to the crime problem.

That committee, he added, will report its findings to the general council. Donaldson said the general council was satisfied Foreign Affairs Minister Knowlson Gift was beefing up security in light of the recent discovery of cocaine in diplomatic pouches. “The General Council referred to two statements, stressing that Minister Gift, together with the public servants and the police, had taken steps to ensure that nothing funny was happening,” Donaldson said. Parliament is discuss the issue of crime this week on an adjournment of normal business by the House Speaker Barry Sinanan.