Barry Padarath says the government stands firmly and unapologetically with Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar, after her comments alleging that two Independent Senators asked for personal favours in return for voting for the Zones of Special Operations Bill (ZOSO).
Eight of the nine Independent Senators sided with Opposition Senators to defeat the Bill in the Senate on Tuesday.
“The Government stands firmly with Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar. We stand against gang rule, drug empires, and political cowardice. We will continue, relentlessly until criminal control is broken and the rule of law is restored in every corner of this country,” Padarath stated.
In a statement, Mr Padarath said the defeat of the Bill marks a dark and shameful moment in Trinidad and Tobago’s history.
“Their actions in the Senate have spoken louder than any speech. When faced with a clear choice, to protect law-abiding citizens or to maintain the status quo that benefits criminals, they chose the latter,” he stated.
The Public Utilities Minister said the Independent Senators, aided and abetted by the PNM, chose to side with paralysis, political gamesmanship, and criminal comfort, over the lives of safety, and law-abiding citizens.
“Their vote has delivered exactly one result: criminals are emboldened, communities are abandoned, and victims are silenced once again. Let us dispense with the pretense. This was not about human rights. This was not about constitutional principle. This was not about fear of abuse. This was about refusing to confront crime with statistics, facts, and resolve,” he said.
Padarath said the government will explore every constitutional avenue and every lawful mechanism and return with legislation that is comprehensive and impossible to dilute.
“But this Government will not be cowed. We will not be paralyzed. And we will not govern in fear of Senate theatrics. The rejection of the ZOSO Bill is not the end of the road, it is the line that has been crossed.”
