The official vehicle of Trinidad and Tobago’s opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who is the prime ministerial candidate of the coalition People’s Partnership, was hijacked yesterday, prompting new security measures to address her safety.

According to a statement from the Opposition Leader, the incident occurred at about 2:30 pm in the vicinity of the Tunapuna Hindu School while her niece Lisa Harry and her driver were in the vehicle. According to the statement, the two were travelling in the vehicle when it was intercepted by an armed gang driving a silver Almera, with licence plate PCH 8663. The gang robbed Harry and the driver before throwing them out of the vehicle.

Persad-Bissessar noted that it was fortunate that she was not in the vehicle at the time.  She also said that new security measures will be taken to address renewed threats being received.

She described the incident as traumatic and typical of what occurs across the country every day. Noting that the matter may gain greater importance because it happened to be the official vehicle of the political leader that was hijacked, Persad-Bissessar said these experiences are what has become the sad state of affairs, where not even she can take her personal safety and that of her family for granted.

She described as “flippant” the manner in which Prime Minister Patrick Manning, the leader of the People’s National Movement dealt with the nation’s crime by describing it as “collateral damage” and subsequently reacting to a recently reported threat on her life as a hoax. She said that this “underscores the root of the problem, where the leader of the country displays such scant regard for what has become a national crisis.”

Meanwhile, Persad-Bissessar said she does not wish to personalise the incident since it is no different from what her fellow citizens have to endure.

Persad-Bissessar became the leader of the UNC in January when she defeated Basdeo Panday in internal party elections. Manning called a snap election on April 8 and subsequently announced that general elections would be held on May 24.

The opposition coalition includes the UNC led by  Persad-Bissessar; the Congress of the People, led by Winston Dookeran; the Tobago Organisation of the People, led by Ashworth Jack; the National Joint Action Committee, a pioneering group in the 1970 Black Power movement led by  Makandal Daaga; and the Movement for Social Justice, comprising prominent trade unionists.

They are presenting themselves on a common platform, with a joint manifesto and the express intention of removing Manning and the PNM from office.