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MPs will meet on October 31 to debate the government's proposal for a second extension to the state of emergency (SoE).
Although both government and opposition MPs were playing their cards close to their chest in their responses to Newsday's queries, the outcome of the sitting seemed projected to be a foregone conclusion.
The motion needs only a simple majority in the House of Representatives and does not require any nod from the Senate with its moderating influence of the independent bench.
The matter was expected to be raised by reporters with the government at a post-Cabinet briefing on October 30 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.
Meanwhile, all that Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles would indicate to Newsday via a WhatsApp text was that her MPs were due to caucus that afternoon on the matter.
The government first declared the SoE after Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro publicly declared that an amalgamation of criminal gangs was intent on targeting a list of public figures from the spheres of politics and criminal justice. The SoE began on July 18.
On July 28, the House voted to extend it by three months. On October 31, MPs will decide if to extend it by another three months.
The TT Constitution (section 10) details the procedure for approving successive extensions.
The first two extensions, each of three months, require just a simple majority of votes in the House.
The Constitution section 10(1)) says, "Before its expiration the Proclamation may be extended from time to time by resolution supported by a simple majority vote of the House of Representatives, so, however, that no extension exceeds three months and the extensions do not in the aggregate exceed six months."
However, after two extensions totalling six months, the Constitution requires the SoE to have a more rigorous parliamentary oversight.
Any future third extension would have to be approved by a special majority in the House and also then go on to garner the approval of the Senate.
Section 10(2) says, "The Proclamation 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."
The motion to be presented by Attorney General John Jeremie will asked MPs to deem it to be "necessary and expedient" that the SoE be extended by a further three months.
Meanwhile calls and text messages to government MPs went unanswered, but reporters awaited elucidation at the post-cabinet briefing.
At the post-cabinet briefing, in reply to a Newsday question, Sobers said the Commissioner of Police and Attorney General (John Jeremie) had said why the SoE should be extended.
Sobers said, "I think there has been demonstrated and measurable decreases in crime and criminality. Additionally, in terms of what the SoE was set up for in the first place, there is information that rests with certain security agencies that will treat with the need for the extension.
Newsday asked if current US/Venezuela tensions (including the imminent arrival of a US aircraft carrier) had played any role in the government's decision to ask the House for a second extension to the SoE originally called to curb local gangs.
Sobers replied, "In terms of anything to do with Venezuela and Trinidad and that being tethered to the SoE, that does not arise at all."
The post House to debate SoE extension on October 31 appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.