950805

Emergency

decleared in

Port-of-Spain

PORT-0F-SPAIN: The capital of the tiny Caribbean republic of Trinidad and Tobago was under a state of emergency on Friday and the speaker under house arrest amid a widening political fracas pitting the government against the legislature.

Legislators were still debating late Friday a measure, which was expected to pass by a simple majority, to remove the speaker of the House of Representatives from his post.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared the three-month state of emergency Thursday on the capital city of some 300,000 residents and placed speaker Occah Seapaul under house arrest.

Manning feared Seapaul, a woman who was chosen for the legislative post four years ago, was trying to whittle away the government's majority in parliament by suspending ministers.

Seapaul's brother, public utilities minister Ralph Maraj, resigned from the cabinet earlier in the day to protest his sister's treatment, although he retained his parliamentary seat.

Residents went about their business as usual and no restrictions were imposed on the press despite the unfolding political drama and pounding rain. No arrests, demonstrations, or protests were reported.

The state of emergency sharply curtails individual liberties, bans public meetings, and empowers police to detain suspects indefinitely without charge.-AFP