Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is calling on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to hold a press conference, saying she has questions to answer on a range of issues facing the country.
In a statement on Monday, Beckles said the Government had gone 12 weeks without holding a post-Cabinet media briefing, leaving what she described as serious unanswered questions about its governance. She cited issues including government procurement, job losses, the economy, the State of Emergency, the passport shortage, the national data centre, water shortages, garbage collection, energy policy and foreign affairs.
Beckles also referred to recently published Central Statistical Office figures, which she said showed employment fell by 5,900 jobs in the first quarter of 2026 while the unemployment rate increased from 4.3 per cent to 5.4 per cent. She argued that the figures required an immediate response from the Prime Minister.
The Opposition Leader also said Persad-Bissessar should respond to concerns raised by the United States Ambassador-designate over the Government's repeated use of States of Emergency.
Beckles accused the Prime Minister of trying to distract from the issues and called on her to provide accountability and transparency by holding a media conference to address the nation.
