Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says, two independent senators sought to make a deal which would see them getting benefits, for their votes on the zones of special operations (ZOSO) bill, 2026.

The bail failed in the upper house on Tuesday night.

Eight of the nine independents voted against the legislation…. one abstained.

Yesterday in response to the collapse of the bill, the prime minister said, her government would not buy votes.

She said, two independent senators approached a senior government senator seeking personal favors, in exchange for supporting the bill.

The prime minister said, these requests were rejected.

She would not name the senators saying, “they know who they are and they must live with that shame.”

The prime minister slammed the opposition People’s National Movement, for celebrating the defeat of the bill.

On her Facebook page the Prime Minister Persad Bissessar noted, crime statistics, saying most murder victims over the past decade were young Afro-Trinidadian men, and that communities affected by gang violence are largely PNM stronghold constituencies.

She said, in this reality yet the PNM – an afro-dominated party – continues to block action by the security services.

She said, the real concern appears to be protecting local drug-mafia financiers.