A growing political firestorm has erupted in Trinidad and Tobago after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced that her government would roll out the controversial Special Operations legislation exclusively in areas controlled by the ruling United National Congress (UNC). The plan has drawn sharp condemnation from opposition lawmakers, who frame the move as a reckless violation of constitutional principles and basic citizen rights.
Kareem Marcelle, the Member of Parliament for Laventille West representing the opposition People’s National Movement, issued a forceful rebuke of the Prime Minister’s statement, calling the plan irresponsible and a direct assault on the fundamental rights guaranteed to all Trinbagonian citizens. Speaking to local media outlet *Express* on Wednesday, Marcelle stressed that the proposed legislation cannot be applied on a selective, piecemeal basis across the island nation.
“This is the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, not the Republic of the UNC,” Marcelle said. As head of the national government, he added, Persad-Bissessar bears a binding duty to represent every citizen of the country, irrespective of which political party they support or align with. “Unless the Prime Minister swore an oath to the UNC alone, this statement has no place in national politics. She was elected to serve all of Trinidad and Tobago, not just her party’s strongholds,” Marcelle argued.
The opposition lawmaker went on to clarify that the Special Operations legislation is structured to divide the country into seven operational districts, not along the borders of the nation’s 41 parliamentary constituencies. Each of these districts includes a diverse mix of voters who support every major political party running in national elections, from the PNM to the UNC, the PPP and smaller groups. Marcelle noted that there is not a single district in the country that is uniformly aligned to one political party, making any selective application of the law logically and ethically untenable.
Because of this mixed political makeup across all districts, Marcelle insisted that the law cannot be enforced with different standards for different areas. Echoing a principle of equal application of the law, he said: “This bill is wrong. It is wrong for Beetham just as it is wrong for Siparia, Penal, Tobago, Sangre Grande, Tunapuna, Arima and La Horquetta. If it is wrong in any one place, it is wrong entirely.”
Beyond the issue of selective enforcement, Marcelle described the entire piece of legislation as inherently unconstitutional, arguing that it poses a direct threat to the core fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the national constitution. “This legislation erodes the social fabric that holds our republic together and undermines the collective well-being of all our people. That is why we must reject it in every district, no exceptions,” he said.
Marcelle confirmed that the opposition’s stance against the bill remains unshaken, regardless of how the government chooses to structure its implementation. As the duly elected official opposition of Trinidad and Tobago, the party will continue to oppose the legislation on principle. He called on the Persad-Bissessar administration to uphold the rule of law and the constitution, and to conduct meaningful public consultation before advancing any policy that could alter or restrict citizen rights.
“If the government wants to make changes that touch the very foundation of our society, the first step cannot be ramming a controversial bill through without input from the people it will affect,” Marcelle said. Instead of pushing forward with the unpopular legislation, he urged the government to hold inclusive, full public consultations, and to allocate appropriate resources to address the root of the legislation’s stated purpose: tackling violent crime and other pressing national challenges.
The opposition’s condemnation has gained support from other government-critical lawmakers. Keith Scotland, the Member of Parliament for Port of Spain South, echoed Marcelle’s core argument when contacted for comment, stating: “If it’s unconstitutional for one, it’s unconstitutional for all.” Scotland has already announced plans to mobilize his own constituents to protest the Special Operations legislation, signaling growing cross-constituency opposition to the government’s plan.