Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley will ask Parliament next Wednesday to extend the state of emergency (SoE) for three more months. This was reflected in the order paper for the House of Representatives, which will sit on that day at 13.30 pm.
As a measure to help combat the COVID19 pandemic, the first period of the SoE was declared on May 15 and was then extended on May 24 for three more months. It is due to last until month-end.
Once the total length of the extension of the SoE is more than six months, Section 10 (1) of the Constitution says an SoE “may be further extended from time to time for not more than three months at any one time, by a resolution passed by both Houses of Parliament and supported by the votes of not less than three-fifths of all the members of each House.” Otherwise only a simple majority is needed. (Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)