By IANS/CMC,
Port of Spain : Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is of Indian origin, has said the decision to impose a state of emergency was necessary to protect innocent lives in the Caribbean nation.
The emergency announced Aug 21 includes a 9 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew in major cities and towns. It was imposed after violence left 11 people dead.
Persad-Bissessar said Wednesday the past two weeks have been a time of “great challenge and sacrifice”.
“But this testing period has also been one of great hope and confirmation that together our nation can reclaim the peace, tranquility and safety we once enjoyed,” she said.
“The decision to impose a state of emergency was not an easy one and there was much deliberation upon it. In the end, after extensive consultations with members of the Cabinet and the National Security Council I took the only decision any responsible leader would under those circumstances.”
“Based upon the intelligence available, we had to respond definitively to protect the lives of innocent men, women and children,” she said.