PNM, MSJ, Ramesh teaming up against government

David Abdulah

The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) is again working with the opposition People's National Movement (PNM) to oppose a measure supported by the government.

This time it's the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2013, which was debated in the House of Representatives last Friday.

The MSJ and other groups that opposed Section 34 are holding a joint public meeting Monday in St James with the PNM to discuss concerns about the legislation that would give soldiers the power of arrest with certain safeguards to protect against abuse.

The PNM is saying that speakers will include its political leader Keith Rowley, MSJ leader David Abdulah and former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj. 

The PNM denied that it is forming a political coalition. In the past, the party has always rejected that with former political leader Patrick Manning saying that he would "win alone and lose alone". 

That caused Manning to lose government in 1995 when he refused to negotiate with another party to form a coalition after his party and the then opposition each won 17 seats in the general election that Manning called ahead of time. The National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) won the two other seats and formed a coaliton with the UNC that made Basdeo Panday Prime Minister.