Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley says the retention of the state of emergency was intended to prevent the labour movement and politicians opposed to the Government from conducting their legitimate business.He said this during yesterday's news conference at his Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, office.Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the 11 pm to 4 am curfew was lifted with immediate effect on Monday. It was declared on August 21, 2011, to deal with escalating crime in T&T. Yesterday, Rowley demanded its immediate discontinuation.He said the curfew had several negative effects on the economy and citizens alike.Rowley said children were starving while a curfew was in effect because their parents had either lost their jobs or worked for reduced hours and were unable to meet their daily commitments.
He said he wanted to know the reasons for maintaining the state of emergency. He said there was no answer to that question."The state of emergency provided no meaningful contribution to policing in Trinidad and Tobago. The state of emergency only exists to preserve the regulations of the emergency," he said.Rowley said citizens' rights and freedoms were being abridged and infringed by the regulations of the state of emergency."These regulations, as they continue to exist, are aimed at the political and labour activity in this country," Rowley told reporters.He said while the state of emergency was a horrible failure "the regulations permit the Government to control the activities of the Opposition and the labour movement."
He then called on the Persad-Bissessar "to end the state of emergency now! End it today."Rowley added: "It makes no contribution to proper policing and it is damaging to the moral of the country."He said the Government was abusing its authority by maintaining the state of emergency regulations.Rowley said the retention of the regulations was effectively "causing the Government to control the legitimate activities of the Opposition and the labour movement."He added: "This continuation of the state of emergency is a naked, political advantage-seeking action on the part of the Government and (it) must end immediately."He said the regulations "are not aimed at criminals, they are aimed at law-abiding citizens who will like to go about our law-abiding business without having to ask for permission, please."
Rowley said it was "absolute nonsense" for Persad-Bissessar to say the police had saved T&T's democracy by the efforts during the state of emergency.Rowley said T&T's democracy was not under any threat.He said the Police Service had been "demoralised and disgraced" after it was unable to prosecute hundreds of citizens arrested because of a lack of evidence.Rowley insisted a state of emergency was not required for the police to do its work of securing the state.He said the Opposition offered to meet with the Government days before the emergency was imposed.Questioned about the possibility of co-operation with the Government in the future, Rowley said the Opposition could not trust the People's Partnership Government.