The Government has issued a strong response following the Senate’s rejection of the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) Bill.
Following the collapse of the Bill in the Senate on Tuesday, Couva South Member of Parliament Barry Padarath said the Government stands firmly with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and accused the Independent Senators of blocking efforts to address violent crime.
In a statement, he said: “Their actions in the Senate have spoken louder than any speech. When faced with a clear choice, to protect law-abiding citizens or to maintain the status quo that benefits criminals, they chose the latter. The so-called “Independent Senators,” aided and abetted by the PNM Opposition, have chosen to side with paralysis, political gamesmanship, and criminal comfort over the lives and safety of law-abiding citizens.”
MP Padarath said crime remains concentrated in vulnerable communities, and the rejection of the legislation leaves communities exposed to gang violence, drug trafficking, and other serious offences.
He also rejected claims that the proposed legislation posed a threat to human rights, saying it included safeguards and was intended to restore law and order in high-crime areas.
“Crime statistics are not racism. Reality is not prejudice. To deny where violent crime is concentrated and who suffers most from it, is to lie to the nation and abandon the very communities these critics pretend to defend. Let the record show this clearly, the greatest victims of this vote are the poor, the vulnerable, and the law-abiding residents of high crime communities.”
The Government has indicated its intention to return with revised legislation, stating that all constitutional and legal options will be considered in future efforts to address crime.
“This Government will not be cowed. We will not be paralysed. And we will not govern in fear of Senate theatrics. The rejection of the ZOSO Bill is not the end of the road, it is the line that has been crossed. This Government will return with legislation that is comprehensive and impossible to dilute. Every constitutional avenue will be explored. Every lawful mechanism will be activated. The State will not retreat from communities that criminals believe they own.”
Mr. Padarath also reaffirmed the Government’s support for the Prime Minister and her stance against gang activity and organised crime.
“The Government stands firmly with Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar. We stand against gang rule, drug empires, and political cowardice. We will continue, relentlessly until criminal control is broken and the rule of law is restored in every corner of this country.”
Independent Senators have previously said their decision to vote against the Bill was based on concerns over constitutional protections and civil liberties.