Members of the Senate today (Oct 19) voted to extend the state of public emergency in St. James for another three months.

The latest extension will see the SOE which was declared on January 18, running for an entire year, equalling Michael Manley’s 1976-77 SOE as the longest running in the island.

The security measure, which was slated to end on November 1, has been extended three times already, and will remain in place until January 31, 2019.

Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Kamina Johnson Smith noted that while the government is aware of the extended nature of the measures, the security forces are not yet convinced that normality will continue once the measures end.

And, while they supported the continuation of the SOE, opposition senators expressed their reluctance to approve the measures.

Opposition senator Donna Scott Motley noted that she was only supporting the move because she knew the government had no other plan in place.

Meantime, in an unprecedented move today, opposition senator K. D. Knight chose to refrain from voting on the resolution to continue the state of public emergency, in St. James.

In his address to the Senate, Mr. Knight noted that upon reflection he had decided to abstain from the vote regardless of the consequences that might come from his decision.

Senator Knight noted that having heard the arguments offered by both sides of the house, and not receiving any indication that these ideas would be considered going forward, he would not participate further.