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Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is concerned about Government’s plan to start debate on the Anti-Terrorism Bill on Wednesday. She accused the Keith Rowley administration of being “less than transparent” in trying to rush this debate without the benefit of the report of a Joint Select Committee (JSC), or amendments to he legislation.
However, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said the JSC which he headed did a lot of work on the legislation and had arrived at the “best position.” He assured that the Bill is “in the best interest of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Persad-Bissessar, who spoke to reporters after attending Eid celebrations at the Nur-E-Islam Mosque, in El Socorro yesterday, said she only received the Order Paper on Thursday night with the notice that Government plans to debate the Bill.
She said she had serious concerns because the majority of parliamentarians who were not members of the JSC “have not had sight of the report or the amended bill.”
The legislation was first brought to Parliament earlier this year and was sent to the JSC. Persad-Bissessar said Parliament “must ensure that no one is discriminated against in the way that report and the Bill that comes back to us.”
Persad-Bissessar said she had sent an email asking for a copy of the JSC report, a copy of the verbatim Hansard notes of all meetings and of all correspondence, but up to yesterday had not received it.
She said it was sad that in the month of Ramadan there had been so much acrimony against members of the Muslim community “from the authorities and even from the Prime Minister himself.”
Contacted for comment, Al-Rawi said the JSC which he chaired had arrived at a “great position.” He sought to allay fears that the Bill targets Muslims.
“This bill is targeted against terrorism and terrorists are persons beyond religious boundaries,” he said.
The AG said there is nothing in the Bill hat targets any particular religion.
“We have had significant stakeholder consultation. We have had a Joint Select Committee of Parliament and I am confident that the legislation is geared towards the best interest of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
“We got extensive submissions from a number of stakeholders including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Concerned Muslims of Trinidad and Tobago, the Muslim Round Table, business associations, and the Chambers of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago.
“If you look to the work of the committee it is perhaps one of the deepest involved reports you will find on the Parliament’s records, in the space of time, the number of consultations, etc. The committee did a lot of work,” Al-Rawi said.