Govt to renew bid for death penalty

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will make yet another attempt to implement the death penalty in a bid to curb the country’s spiralling crime. But she needs the Opposition support. Persad-Bissessar made the announcement yesterday at the commissioning of the Talparo Portable Water Treatment Plant. Questioned about renewed calls by citizens for the implementation of the death penalty following the ceremonial turning-on of the plant’s tap, Persad-Bisssesar thought there will always be naysayers: “The majority of the citizenry are interested in having the death penalty implemented,” she added.

Persad-Bissessar said this was part of the law of T&T, and that the lack of support from the Opposition on the last occasion prevented it from going through. “We will try again because we have to find ways to reduce the crime rate.” Last January, Persad-Bissessar tabled legislation in the Parliament to amend the Constitution to remove major obstacles to the implementation of the death penalty. Although the Opposition stated that it subscribed to the law of the death penalty, it did not support the legislation. Persad-Bissessar also insisted the SoE was successful. “It worked. The murder rates went down last year in six years.”