P.M. Rowley Writes Letter To Kamla, Calls For Joint-Proposals To Tackle Crime

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) shared a letter this afternoon (Sunday 17th September 2023) which was sent yesterday by Prime Minister Keith Rowley to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, “to address the matter of the safety and security of the population of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.”

The letter, dated 16th September 2023, was sent to the Opposition Leader by email and hand delivery, and called for the Opposition to submit their proposal(s) to deal with the crime situation in the country. The Prime Minister said the Government will also share their own ideas, programs and policies for inclusion in these discussions. After receiving the Opposition’s proposal(s), teams comprising four (4) members each, from both the Government and the Opposition, will be established to discuss the initiatives proposed. “These teams will be guided by a crafted agenda formed from our joint submissions which I anticipate we could have in hand within the coming fortnight,” Prime Minister Rowley said.

See the entire letter below from the Prime Minister to the Opposition Leader:

September 16, 2023

The Hon. Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar, S.C, MP.
Leader of the Opposition
Charles Street
PORT OF SPAIN

By Email and Hand Delivery

Dear Mrs. Persad-Bissessar,

In keeping with our mutual desire to put our country’s national interest first, I invite you, as Leader of the Opposition, to participate in the following exercise which is aimed at exploring the options available to us, as Parliamentarians, to address the matter of the safety and security of the population of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

I would like to receive from you, in writing, your proposal(s) which you believe are worthy of bipartisan discussions between the Government and the Opposition. The Government is also prepared to share with you its own ideas, programs and policies for inclusion in these discussions. It is envisaged that your proposal(s), like the Government’s, would include tools designed to lawfully confront the criminal elements that are increasingly emboldened, as they operate in Trinidad and Tobago. I propose that after receiving your proposal we establish teams comprising four (4) members each, from both the Government and the Opposition, to discuss the initiatives proposed. These teams will be guided by a crafted agenda formed from our joint submissions which I anticipate we could have in hand within the coming fortnight.

I trust that my invitation will be received in the most positive way and that our teams could meet with the requisite spirit of collaboration and productivity that is required by the nature of this persistent problem which we all have been confronting for quite some time.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest. Best wishes.

Yours in Service

Keith C Rowley PhD, MP
Prime Minister