Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has declared that the People’s National Movement (PNM) will not support the Government’s plan to extend the current state of emergency (SoE) for a further three months.
Beckles made the announcement on Sunday in a post on the social media platform X shortly after the Office of the Attorney General confirmed that Government would seek parliamentary approval for an extension of the emergency measure.
“The PNM predicted the incompetent UNC would extend the SOE. So said, so done. The PNM will not support this extension. The UNC has no crime plan and cannot keep restricting citizens’ freedoms while arresting those who disagree. T&T is a democracy, not a police state,” Beckles wrote.
The Government’s decision was announced following a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Friday evening.
According to a statement issued by the Attorney General’s Communications Unit, the Prime Minister and members of the NSC reviewed reports examining the impact of states of emergency implemented between December 2024 and May 2026.
The reports analysed local and international security threats and concluded that all three states of emergency were associated with significant disruptions to criminal activity.
“The reports revealed that all three SOEs were associated with meaningful disruptions in all categories of datasets reviewed and analysed,” the statement said.
Following consideration of the reports and advice from national security officials, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar decided that Government would seek parliamentary approval for a further three-month extension.
A resolution to extend the SoE is scheduled to be debated in Parliament on Wednesday under Section 10(1) of the Constitution. The current state of emergency expires on June 17.
The announcement came on the same day Defence Minister Wayne Sturge publicly expressed support for an extension.
In an interview with the Sunday Express, Sturge said significant progress had been made in disrupting gang activity, illegal firearms trafficking and the drug trade, but argued that additional time was needed to consolidate those gains.
“I think we can govern without an SoE, but not at this time,” Sturge said.
He maintained that law enforcement agencies had disrupted criminal networks, strengthened border security and reduced the availability of illegal firearms and cocaine while continuing to pursue key national security objectives.
The Opposition has consistently criticised the use of emergency powers, arguing that the Government has failed to demonstrate that the restrictions are necessary and proportionate.
