ZOSO Bill Fails — Prime Minister Slams TWO (2) Independent Senators For Seeking Bribes

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UPDATE: Independent Senators and Opposition members are rejecting Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s claim that two (2) independent Senators sought personal favours in exchange for supporting the Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO) Bill, calling on her to publicly identify the individuals or withdraw the allegation.

“My Government will not buy votes.” This according to Prime Minister the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP, following the collapse of the contentious Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) (Special Security and Community Development Measures) Bill, 2026 in the Senate on Tuesday night (27th January, 2026). 

The Government, which needed the support of at least four (4) independent Senators for the passage of the ZOSO Bill, did not receive a single vote in their favour. Eight (8) of the independents voted against, with Senator Courtney Mc Nish abstaining.

In a Media Release on Wednesday (28th January, 2026), the Prime Minister said, “I fully expected the President’s Senators to vote against the Law Reform (ZOSO) Bill, 2026. During the debate, two (2) of the President’s Senators approached a senior Government Senator seeking personal favours in exchange for support and for securing the remaining votes needed for passage. Those requests were rejected. From that moment, it was clear the Bill would not pass.”


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Mrs. Persad-Bissessar continued, “They know who they are. They must live with that shame. This is why I warn about the fake ‘eat-a-food’ elite. They do not care about decent, hardworking citizens — only self-interest and privilege. The PNM and its supporters also fail to grasp a basic fact: It is amazing and amusing that the PNM hierarchy and their supporters still do not yet understand that your UNC Government has more powers under an SOE [State of Emergency] than it would have had under the ZOSO bill. Your UNC Government was actually trying to dilute and limit the State’s SOE powers by introducing the ZOSO legislation to use instead of an SOE. Your UNC Government could have simply called another SOE. Hopefully someone (not me), eventually explains this to the PNM who are rejoicing and celebrating that they outsmarted themselves, only the PNM could do that.”

She added, “The undisputed facts are that the majority of murder victims over the past decade were young Afro men. Most victims of gang violence and assaults are young Afro adults and teenagers. Most communities that are oppressed and abused by violent gangs are Afro-dominated communities within PNM stronghold constituencies. Yet the PNM — an Afro-dominated party — continues to block action by the security services. Their real concern appears to be protecting local drug-mafia financiers. From 2015 – 2025 under Rowley, Stuart and Penelope: 124,062 crimes, including 5,000 murders and nearly 9,000 rapes and sexual assaults. Rapists, murderers and violent gangs flourished under the PNM.”

The Media Release concluded by saying, “The PNM and the local drug mafia will not stop trying to derail national security progress — but they will not succeed. This Government and our security services remain committed to reducing crime, with the support of decent, law-abiding citizens.”

More on this as it becomes available.

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