‘The people that are happy are the local drug mafia and gang members who stand to benefit from the votes of the nine bootlickers’ – Kamla Persad-Bissessar
By Prior Beharry
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her government has other plans to fight crime after the Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) bill was defeated in the Senate on Tuesday evening.
When the vote was taken, all 15 Government Senators said yes, with the six Opposition Senators voting no, along with eight Independent Senators while Independent Senator Courtney Arthur Mc Nish abstained.
The Government needed at least four independent senators to support the legislation that would have replaced the State of Emergency that is scheduled to end on January 31.
The Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026 came to an end before 8 pm.
Contacted for a comment, minutes after the defeat, Persad-Bissessar again laid blame on the nine Independent Senators.
She said, “I told you so. They have shown the entire country that I was entirely right about them. I am quite satisfied that they have proven me right. The people that are happy are the local drug mafia and gang members who stand to benefit from the votes of the nine bootlickers.”
After the bill was passed in the Lower House and went to the Senate for promulgation, Persad-Bissessar criticised the Independent Senators.
She had said, “Their hypocritically pious behaviour doesn’t fool anyone. Not a single one of them has the courage to face the electorate; they just use the position to engage in self-promotion, self-congratulation and as a stepping stone for personal business opportunities outside of Parliament.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “It is obscene that these nine people, whose only special ability is bootlicking and self-promotion on the local cocktail and conference circuit, and who no one voted for, can decide on legislation brought to Parliament by a Government who was voted for by the electorate.
“And the most egregious ones have absolutely no shame standing in front of Parliament to defend their eating ah food. Yet they won’t stand in front of the electorate and ask for a vote to be in Parliament.”
On Tuesday evening she said, “We have other plans that are ongoing and new ones to operationalise”
If passed the bill would have empowered the Prime Minister to declare an area as a ZOSO with agreement of law enforcement.
