Govt heading to Parliament on Wednesday to extend SoE

Senior Political Reporter

Trinidad and Tobago will be under a State of Emergency (SoE) until September, after Government announced yesterday that it will go to Parliament on Wednesday to extend the current SoE for another three months.

The Attorney General’s office made the announcement yesterday evening, after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar met with the National Security Council (NSC) last Friday and reviewed a number of reports which highlighted analyses of “datasets” related to significant local and international threats to State security.

In an immediate response yesterday, however, People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Pennelope Beckles said, “The PNM predicted that this incompetent UNC Government would extend the current SoE—so said, so done.”

Opposition Whip Marvin Gonzales also said the PNM is awaiting further advice from senior counsels on its plan to legally challenge extension of the SoE.

The announcement to extend the SoE came days before it was to end on June 17 and the extension is the latest in continued SoEs.

The Government’s first SoE began three months into its tenure in July 2025. This was to deal with a plot from within the prisons threatening the lives of persons in the State sector, prisons, law enforcement and judicial sectors and threats to State property. It was extended to January 2026, when it ended.

Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar announced a second SoE on March 3, 2026.

This followed an increase in violent criminal activity attributed to organised criminal gangs. On March 13, Parliament—via simple majority vote—extended the SoE for three months, with effect from March 18 up to midnight on June 17.

Persad-Bissessar had recently said the SoE would be extended a further three months if the NSC recommended this. The council, headed by the PM, includes the Attorney General, Ministers of Justice, Homeland Security, Defence and others, plus heads of the TTPS, Defence Force and Strategic Services Agency.

According to yesterday’s statement from the Attorney General, at a meeting of the NSC last Friday, the Prime Minister and members of the council received and reviewed reports on the states of emergency implemented between December 2024 and May 2026.

The former PNM administration had implemented an SoE between December 2024 to March 2025 due to a surge in gang warfare

The AG’s ministry stated that the reports on SoEs between December 2024 and May 2026, “…highlighted analyses of datasets related to significant local and international threats to state security. The reports revealed that all three SoEs were associated with meaningful disruptions in all categories of datasets reviewed and analysed.”

“After examining the reports and advice from members of the NSC, the Prime Minister has decided that the Government will go to Parliament to request an extension of the State of Emergency for a further three months. A resolution to extend the State of Emergency will be debated in Parliament on Wednesday, 10th June, 2026 in accordance with section 10(1) of the Constitution,” the release said.

House meets on SoE, Finance Bill

Attorney General John Jeremie did not reply to Guardian Media’s queries yesterday on details of what the reports revealed and regarding the “significant local and international threats to State security.”

Jeremie is expected to pilot the resolution to extend the SoE.

Any extension for an SoE can be passed in the House of Representatives with Government votes alone—a simple majority vote—for only up to a maximum period of six months.

An extension of an SoE beyond six months requires a three-fifths—special majority vote—in both Houses of Parliament.

Last Friday, Finance Minister Dave Tancoo had said the House would meet on Wednesday on a Finance Bill that would increase fines/penalties and deal with other matters.

Yesterday, Tancoo didn’t reply on whether the Finance Bill would be postponed due to the SoE extension debate.

But Government House leader Barry Padarath subsequently confirmed, “Both the SoE extension and the Finance bill will be on the House’s agenda on Wednesday and are expected to be completed at Wednesday’s sitting.”

PNM checking senior counsels on legal challenge

Opposition Leader Beckles yesterday reaffirmed her party’s disapproval of another SoE extension.

“The Opposition rejects this extension of oppression. A State of Emergency was never meant to become permanent governance,” Beckles said.

“The PNM will not support this extension. The UNC has no crime plan and cannot continue to restrict our citizens’ freedom, and arrest those who dare to voice discontent with their actions and disagree. T&T is a democracy, not a police state. Citizens have the right to live without fear.”

Opposition Whip Gonzales said, “The Opposition is ready to go to Parliament and defend the country against a Government that is using a SoE to suppress dissent and the constitutional rights of the citizens for its electoral survival … we are awaiting further advice from senior counsels.”

Opposition MP Stuart Young added, “A SoE is a very serious constitutional matter and it’s our position that the Persad-Bissessar Government is abusing it. On the last occasion that the Government instituted a SoE three months ago, they gave no justification.

“It’s clear from (Wayne) Sturge’s interview, the UNC’s only crime plan is to roll SoEs—and the Opposition PNM will not support this! It’s continued abuse of citizens’ constitutional rights. We’ve seen use of the SoE to censor citizens who speak against the Prime Minister’s ills, detaining them using SoE regulations and preventative detention orders.”

He added, “We’re also witnessing Government’s use of the SoE to prevent citizens from peacefully protesting and expressing their dissatisfaction with T&T’s state. These are attacks on democracy and evidence of abuse of our constitutional rights—the Government is failing spectacularly!”