UNC marathon for PM crime talks

With just over 24 hours to go before the talks with the Prime Minister, the Opposition is yet to select its team for the Rowley meeting. But party chairman, Dr David Lee, revealed to Newsday yesterday that this will be done at a five-hour caucus which the UNC has scheduled for 2 pm today at the Opposition’s Charles St headquarters in Port-of-Spain.

“The Opposition Leader, MPs and senators are caucusing to prepare for the meeting with the Prime Minister as well as other issues such as the opening of Parliament and the national budget,” Dr Lee said.

The UNC chairman disclosed that the caucus is expected to last between four to five hours and will include current MPs and Senators from which a team will be picked to accompany the former prime minister, Persad- Bissessar, to the crime talks.

He said while the meeting with the Prime Minister is scheduled for 11 am tomorrow, a venue is yet to be decided upon.

Asked whether former national security minister retired Brigadier Carl Alfonso is likely to be part of the talks, Lee, who is also the parliamentary representative for Pointe-a-Pierre, said the team members will be selected from the current crop of MPs and senators. He expressed the view however that persons with legal backgrounds would most likely be selected as part of the team to accompany the Opposition Leader.

He reminded that the former prime minister was also head of the National Security Council for five years and is therefore ‘quite knowledgeable’ on crime matters.

In response to the Prime Minister’s statement that he hopes the Opposition Leader’s call for a meeting with him to discuss the country’s crime situation was not to score political points, Lee strongly rejected the idea and stated the whole point of the meeting is to seek to protect the nation and the people of Trinidad and Tobago given that we are all under siege.” He said the country is in crisis and he is hoping for a healthy discussion on the way forward.

Last week Persad-Bissessar wrote Rowley requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the escalating crime situation in the country.

Persad-Bissessar said there was need for an urgent meeting with the government and members of the National Security Council to “engage in a non-partisan dialogue on a way forward to combat the serious crime situation which has gripped the country.” “I hope this meeting will blossom into a joint anti-crime initiative informed by representatives from both sides of the bench and with the key national security stakeholders.

“Despite your government’s best efforts to date, crime in our country is spiralling dangerously out of control. Like so many others, the opposition is very concerned about this escalation in criminal activity,” Persad Bissessar added.

Lee said the Prime Minister’s office replied on Monday agreeing to the talks and requesting an agenda in advance. On Tuesday, Lee said he responded on behalf of the party and submitted a fivestep agenda.

He said the five-step agenda on crime which was sent to the Prime Minister includes “legislative matters, administrative matters, non-partisan parliamentary partnership, stakeholder and civil society matters and a framework for continued co-operation on crime.”