PM NEEDS BAS' SUPPORTWednesday, November 4 2009
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HELPING MANNING: Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday (left) appears to be helping Prime Minister Patrick Manning walk down the stairs outside the Diplomat...
GOVERNMENT is hoping the Opposition will join forces with it to pass legislation in Parliament which is deemed critical in the fight against crime. Prime Minister Patrick Manning is seeking the Opposition’s support for six pieces of legislation including laws to formally establish the Special Anti-Crime Unit (SAUTT), combat criminal gangs and intercept legislation, which involves the use of legalised wire-tapping.
The legislation, to be passed into law, requires a constitutional majority and thus, Manning would need the Opposition’s support rather than a mere parliamentary majority.
To this end, Manning and Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday met yesterday at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.
Speaking after the meeting and with Panday at his side, Manning said: “The Government has six pieces of legislation coming to the Parliament. We wanted to discuss them with the Opposition before they came to the Parliament.” Responding to a question from Newsday, Manning confirmed that the omnibus package included SAUTT, anti-gang and intercept legislation which had been previously mentioned by National Security Minister Martin Joseph.
“Most of them require a special majority,” the Prime Minister added. Asked if he received a commitment from Panday that the Opposition would support the anti-crime legislation, Manning replied: “He (Panday) gave the commitment to study it.”
Reminding reporters that such discourse between a prime minister and opposition leader was normal in the Westminster system of governance, which this country follows, Manning said he held similar crime talks with Panday in 1999, when the PNM was in opposition. Those talks eventually led to the formulation of the Police Reform Bills which were passed in Parliament in 2006.
While the Opposition has criticised Government for failing to curb crime after it supported the passage of the Police Bills, Panday said he was prepared to back the passage of new anti-crime measures once the Opposition is convinced it will increase the level of safety and security for the population.
“We have not seen the legislation. What we have indicated is that we will do what we always do. We shall look at the legislation, examine it, comment upon it and support it or not support it as the case might be,” Panday said.
Addressing a subsequent news conference at his office on Charles Street, Panday told reporters that it was “trite knowledge” that crime was out of control. He explained that while constitutional reform is strengthen the institutions of criminal justice over the long term, he proposed to Manning that a national task force on crime be established in the interim.
This group would have representatives from all political parties in the country and other stakeholders, have the ability to mobilise the population and oversee the effectiveness of anti- crime measures.
Panday said Manning did not say whether he supported the formation of this task force.
