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FORMER national security minister Stuart Young said on Friday that a State of Emergency was not to be announced by a Police Commissioner - and has called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, as head of the National Security Council (NSC) and the country's Ministers in national security to address the population.

In a brief statement, Young said "it is not for a Commissioner to address the nation on the calling of a State of Emergency which actually suspends constitutional rights of citizens".

The Port of Spain North/St Ann's West MP stated that the Government, "via its two Ministers of National Security and the Chairman of National Security Council, the Prime Minister, must face the population and tell us why they and the Cabinet decided to suspend constitutional rights".