There has been significant public outcry over the last two weeks in light of the hideous incidence of child murders, most recently that of six-year-old Keyana.Some commentators have put the blame for these children's deaths squarely on the shoulders of the Prime Minister. It should be known that the Prime Minister cannot stop people from engaging in any action, criminal or otherwise.
However, she has the authority through the relevant governmental ministries to bring legislation to Parliament in hopes of establishing deterrents to potential criminals.
I truly hate politicising a sensitive issue such as this, but I think it is necessary to remind the public of the actions of the opposition PNM with regard to legislation brought to the Parliament in an effort to prevent incidences such as this. In 2011, the Prime Minister and her government brought the Capital Offences Constitution Amendment Bill (the Hanging Bill), here the PNM refused to support it.
Then again in 2013, the Defence Amendment Bill, where again they refused to support its passing!Without consensus in the House, critical legislation like those mentioned above cannot be successfully implemented or realised at all.
As many reports have stated, crime is not a government issue, rather it is a social problem. The governmental institutions can only do so much, with the agreement of the opposition, of course. But, let us look beyond the politics, and attempt to formulate a substantive relationship between the government and civil society to intervene in this chronic situation.
Cherrise De Souza