00:00Aruka Lopino MP Marvin Gonzalez is seeking to correct the record after Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander criticized the opposition
00:10for not supporting the Zone of Special Operations, or Zoso bill.
00:15Speaking at an opposition press conference, Gonzalez took direct aim at statements made in Parliament, suggesting communities would only benefit
00:23from enhanced social support under a Zoso framework.
00:27He's an elected member of the House of Representatives, elected by the people of Tunapuna.
00:33And I want to ask the people of Tunapuna if this is what you expect from your member of Parliament,
00:42who is now on record in saying that the only way you, his constituents, will have access to social support,
00:51including educational and employment assistance, would be under a Zoso regime being imposed on you.
00:59Gonzalez argued that framing social development as contingent upon emergency-style security legislation sends the wrong message to citizens.
01:09According to Gonzalez, the legislation was presented to the opposition just two to three days before debate.
01:16He said debate began at 10.30 on Friday night and continued until 3.30 the following morning.
01:22But opposition members were prevented from fully ventilating their concerns.
01:26The Attorney General was called upon to wind up the debate when one of our members on the opposition bench
01:37was signaling that he intended to enter into the debate.
01:41Why am I saying all of that?
01:43I'm saying all of that to suggest to you and the country that the government was not prepared to listen
01:53to the concerns of the opposition.
01:55The government was not prepared to enter into any serious dialogue.
02:00Gonzalez further claimed the Attorney General made it clear no amendments would be entertained, even those proposed by independent senators.
02:09During the debate in the Senate, the independent senators circulated a number of amendments,
02:17demonstrating their ability and demonstrating their willingness to support the government with critical amendments to improve the bill,
02:28to improve the constitutionality of the bill, to ensure that there is appropriate constitutional oversight.
02:41He suggested this demonstrated that the government had no intention of modifying the legislation to secure broader parliamentary support.
02:50His lowest hanging fruit and most convenient excuse right now is that for every murder that takes place in Trinidad
02:57and Tobago,
02:58every murder that takes place in Trinidad and Tobago, serious crime, blame the collapse of the ZOZO bill on independent
03:05senators and the people's national movement,
03:09and somehow the people of Trinidad and Tobago will give them a pass.
03:13The opposition MP questioned why the government is not utilizing or amending existing legislation to combat crime,
03:21instead of introducing what he described as a sweeping new powers under a fresh legal framework.
03:28The Zone of Special Operations Bill required a special majority support in Parliament.
03:33Its failure has since sparked political finger-pointing with government and opposition trading blame over who is responsible.
03:41For now, the proposed legislation remains stalled.
03:45Arvishita Wari Rupnarein, TV6 News.
