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| "On Monday, it is the PNM on trial." | . |
Roodal Moonilal says the People’s National Movement (PNM) will go on “trial” Monday when Parliament meets for a vote on the proposed legislation of the amended Capital Offences Bill 2011, which will reinstate hanging as the penalty for murder in Trinidad and Tobago.
The bill requires the support of the opposition to pass.
The PNM has said while it supports the execution of convicted killers it will not give the government the vote it needs to pass the bill.
The Government has met the demands of the opposition for amendments to the legislation but Opposition leader Keith Rowley has said that's not good enough for the opposition to vote with the government to pass the bill.
Moonilal has suggested that the Opposition is playing games. In an interview with the Guardian Media, he said Monday will be historic.
“We have made fundamental amendments to our initial version of the Bill—Constitutional Amendment (Capital Offences Bill 2011). We have made these fundamental changes to satisfy the demands of the Opposition so that the final version is effectively the PNM’s bill.
"Yet, it appears that the Opposition would not support the Bill and leads us to believe that they are playing games with such important matters as anti-crime legislation,” he said.
He pointed out that if the Bill is passed, hanging could be almost instantaneous once approved by the Senate.
“This is a defining moment in the fight against the criminal elements. If the Bill is passed with the requisite majority it means that anyone convicted of murder after passage of the Bill is certain not to live out his natural life.
"A convicted killer would be certain to face the hangman. This is why the lack of support by the Opposition is so astonishing when they declared to ‘hang them high’.
“The Opposition position now is like tying the noose around the killer’s neck but untying it at the end. So, on Monday, it is the PNM on trial. One way or the other there will be a hanging at high noon—either the PNM or the killers.
"If the Opposition fails to support the Bill, then they may very well be politically hanged opposite Woodford Square,” Moonilal stated.
Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert has denied Moonilal's claim of amending the bill according to the demands of the opposition.
“They have not made the amendments we asked for," Imbert stated. "We queried the most fundamental clause—which is Clause Five. This clause is the section of the Bill that seeks to alter the Constitution.
"Our problem is that we did not believe that it was necessary to alter the Constitution to achieve the results they are seeking to achieve...
“When you tamper with the Constitution you are changing it in a fundamental way. We do not believe that is warranted in this case. We believe that a special majority bill can be achieving the same effect without radically interfering with the Constitution.
"We also feel they have not informed the public about altering the Constitution; this is absolutely necessary, that public consultations should be held," he said. "We would not be supporting the Bill on Monday.”
The bill requires the support of the opposition to pass.
The PNM has said while it supports the execution of convicted killers it will not give the government the vote it needs to pass the bill.
The Government has met the demands of the opposition for amendments to the legislation but Opposition leader Keith Rowley has said that's not good enough for the opposition to vote with the government to pass the bill.
Moonilal has suggested that the Opposition is playing games. In an interview with the Guardian Media, he said Monday will be historic.
“We have made fundamental amendments to our initial version of the Bill—Constitutional Amendment (Capital Offences Bill 2011). We have made these fundamental changes to satisfy the demands of the Opposition so that the final version is effectively the PNM’s bill.
"Yet, it appears that the Opposition would not support the Bill and leads us to believe that they are playing games with such important matters as anti-crime legislation,” he said.
He pointed out that if the Bill is passed, hanging could be almost instantaneous once approved by the Senate.
“This is a defining moment in the fight against the criminal elements. If the Bill is passed with the requisite majority it means that anyone convicted of murder after passage of the Bill is certain not to live out his natural life.
"A convicted killer would be certain to face the hangman. This is why the lack of support by the Opposition is so astonishing when they declared to ‘hang them high’.
“The Opposition position now is like tying the noose around the killer’s neck but untying it at the end. So, on Monday, it is the PNM on trial. One way or the other there will be a hanging at high noon—either the PNM or the killers.
"If the Opposition fails to support the Bill, then they may very well be politically hanged opposite Woodford Square,” Moonilal stated.
Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert has denied Moonilal's claim of amending the bill according to the demands of the opposition.
“They have not made the amendments we asked for," Imbert stated. "We queried the most fundamental clause—which is Clause Five. This clause is the section of the Bill that seeks to alter the Constitution.
"Our problem is that we did not believe that it was necessary to alter the Constitution to achieve the results they are seeking to achieve...
“When you tamper with the Constitution you are changing it in a fundamental way. We do not believe that is warranted in this case. We believe that a special majority bill can be achieving the same effect without radically interfering with the Constitution.
"We also feel they have not informed the public about altering the Constitution; this is absolutely necessary, that public consultations should be held," he said. "We would not be supporting the Bill on Monday.”
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