The Patriotic Front

08/06/2026

Last Oc­to­ber, the Gov­ern­ment came to the coun­try with a clear mes­sage, dif­fi­cult de­ci­sions had to be made. New rev­enue mea­sures were nec­es­sary. New levies were nec­es­sary. New fees, du­ties and sur­charges were nec­es­sary. Cit­i­zens were told these mea­sures w...

31/05/2026

Democ­ra­cy does not re­quire cit­i­zens to agree with their Gov­ern­ment. It re­quires Gov­ern­ments to an­swer to their cit­i­zens.

29/05/2026

Madam Prime Minister, What Is the Real Purpose of This State of Emergency?

The Prime Minister told the country, “The state of emergency is not restricting anyone.”

That statement can no longer stand without an explanation.

Under Legal Notice No. 40 of 2026, citizens participating in public protests or demonstrations are prohibited from being at, or within 500 metres of, 15 specified locations. These include Parliament, the Office of the Prime Minister, police stations, prisons, military facilities and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The police say protests are still allowed.

But senior police officers have also said there should be no chanting.

So what remains of meaningful protest?

A silent protest, far away from the institution being protested, where those in power neither see nor hear the people?

That is not democracy.

That is managed dissent.

Peaceful protest is not a favour granted by Government. It is a democratic right belonging to the people.

Public order matters. No responsible citizen supports violence or disorder.

But peaceful dissent is not disorder.

Accountability is not a threat.

Citizens asking questions are not enemies of the State.

If the State of Emergency is about crime, then show us how these 500-metre protest restrictions help stop violent criminals.

Show us the crime plan.

Show us the results.

But do not tell citizens that the State of Emergency is “not restricting anyone” while emergency powers are being used to restrict where citizens can stand, how close they can gather and how loudly they can make their voices heard.

A State of Emergency must never become a shield for those in power.

It must never be used to move citizens out of sight, lower their voices or make peaceful protest meaningless.

Madam Prime Minister, the question is now unavoidable, what is the real purpose of this State of Emergency?

28/05/2026

“Badjohn Talk Will Not Save T&T”

There is something deeply wrong when a Prime Minister looks at citizens who are anxious, angry and afraid and calls them “grifters.”
There is something deeply wrong when public concern is dismissed as “victim gimmickry.”
There is something deeply wrong when the head of Government chooses ridicule at a time when the country needs reassurance.

This is not strength. It is contempt.

Calling protesters “grifters”, dismissing public concern as “victim gimmickry”, accusing citizens of “publicity farming” and claiming they were trying to provoke the police is not leadership. When a Prime Minister speaks this way, she risks doing something deeply dangerous. Turning legitimate public concern into a battle between citizens and the police.

That must not happen.

If anyone breaks the law, let the law take its course. But citizens must not be broadly smeared because they speak, gather, question, or express concern about the use of State power.

Mrs Persad-Bissessar also asked where protesters were when more than 5,000 people were murdered over the past decade. That has become the default deflection whenever citizens speak out.

But people were not silent. Families marched. Communities protested. Candlelight vigils were held. Mothers cried publicly for justice. Citizens begged for protection. People pleaded for the last Government to act.

So it is dishonest to now suggest that the country sat quietly for ten years while crime destroyed families and communities. Her truth is not the truth, and no one must be allowed to rewrite history.

And if the question is “where were you for the last ten years?”, then that question must also be asked of Mrs Persad-Bissessar herself.

For ten years, she was Leader of the Opposition. That is not a ceremonial title. It is a constitutional office with serious responsibilities. She and her MP’s were paid by the taxpayers to scrutinise the Government, hold it accountable, expose failures, present alternatives and lead national pressure on the issues destroying the lives of citizens.

Crime was the greatest issue facing the country. So what serious national anti-crime movement did Mrs Persad-Bissessar lead? What sustained pressure did she bring? What clear solutions did she place before the people? What plan did she prepare so that, once in Government, Trinidad and Tobago would not still be waiting?

After a year in office, the country is still waiting for a real anti-crime plan. Instead, we hear about the possible extension of the State of Emergency for another three months if the National Security Council so advises.

That is not a plan. That is emergency power replacing policy.

The Prime Minister can insult protesters. She can mock public concern. She can dismiss citizens who ask questions. But none of that will make one family safer, dismantle one gang, or restore trust in the State.

When citizens are mocked for speaking, democracy becomes weaker. When emergency powers become the substitute for an anti-crime strategy, everyone should be concerned.

Trinidad and Tobago does not need badjohn talk. It needs a crime plan.🙏🏽

27/05/2026

I first met Anil Baliram when he served as Youth Officer for Caroni Central under Dr. Hamza Rafeeq around 2005, before later joining the National Youth Arm of the UNC.

Anil was diligent, respectful and hardworking. He gave of himself, he showed up and he served with commitment. At this difficult time, my thoughts and prayers continue to be with him and his family.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and moments like this should force all of us to pause. We never truly know what someone is carrying privately. We do not know the battles behind the smile, the pressure behind the public face or the pain behind silence.

That is why compassion must never be optional. But compassion must also be consistent.

Housing Minister and Caroni Central MP David Lee is right to say that social media can be cruel and that people should avoid hurtful and prejudicial remarks when discussing tragic incidents.

However, Minister Lee cannot conveniently lecture ordinary citizens about cruelty on social media while remaining silent about the conduct of the two junior Ministers in his own Ministry, who openly use social media on an almost daily basis to insult, abuse and attack citizens who disagree with them or with the Government.

You cannot condemn online cruelty only when it is politically convenient.

And you cannot say all we can do is pray.

Prayer matters. Compassion matters. Words matter. But those in Government can do more than pray. They can act.

Trinidad and Tobago still does not have a modern, standalone Cybercrime Act in force dealing comprehensively with cybercrime, cyberbullying, online harassment and digital abuse. Existing laws may deal with some cases, but that is not enough.

Trinidad and Tobago is also still not a full member of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The country has been formally invited by the Council of Europe to accede to the treaty, but it has not fully signed, ratified or implemented it.

If this Government is sincere, then in the new parliamentary session it should bring proper legislation to address online harassment, cyberbullying and digital abuse, while protecting freedom of expression and due process.

This is not about silencing criticism. It is about protecting people from abuse.

Today, my prayers remain with Anil and his family. May they be given strength, comfort and privacy at this difficult time.🙏🏽

24/05/2026

Pub­lic pro­cure­ment is where pub­lic mon­ey meets pri­vate in­ter­est. It de­cides who gets con­tracts, who gets op­por­tu­ni­ties, who ben­e­fits from State land and whether cit­i­zens re­ceive val­ue for mon­ey or an­oth­er ex­pen­sive promise wrapped in se­cre­cy.

17/05/2026

Bare­ly one year af­ter the 2025 elec­tion, the warn­ing signs are no longer qui­et. They are vis­i­ble in two ma­jor hous­ing con­tro­ver­sies, both in­volv­ing the Of­fice of Pro­cure­ment Reg­u­la­tion and rais­ing se­ri­ous ques­tions about pro­cure­ment, State land, pu...

14/05/2026

10/05/2026

A coun­try does not mea­sure its crime cri­sis on­ly in sta­tis­tics. It mea­sures it in the moth­er who waits for a child to come home, the work­er who hes­i­tates be­fore leav­ing home be­fore sun­rise, the busi­ness own­er who clos­es ear­ly out of fear and the com­mu­ni­ty ...