APNU/AFC seems to have lost interest in constitutional reform – Ramkarran

Close to two years after making a “bold” proposal for a political solution through constitutional reform, the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government seems to have lost that zeal, according to former House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran.

He said the APNU/AFC in its 2015 Manifesto made the “boldest proposals” for a

political solution ever to have been introduced onto Guyana’s political agenda since 1950 through its promised constitutional reform.

In the agreement, the coalition committed to the establishment of a Constitution Reform Committee with a mandate to complete consultations, draft amendments and present same to the National Assembly for approval within nine months.

According to Ramkarran, as it sought to fulfil its mandate, Government appointed a committee headed by Attorney and former AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes to examine the process for constitutional reform. While the committee presented its report to Government almost a year ago, no movement has been seen.

“The report is still before the Cabinet and the process appears to have been stalled. This has led to speculation that the Government has lost interest in constitutional reform, even though it allocated $80 million to constitution reform and appointed Prime Minister (Moses) Nagamootoo to lead the process,” Ramkarran said in his weekly “Conversation Tree” column.

According to him, if the speculation of disinterest is not justified, the Government can demonstrate its bona fides by tabling a motion in the National Assembly seeking support for its Manifesto proposals and the Hughes report. He said such a move would be met with overwhelming support from the Guyanese people.

Ramkarran said the struggle for constitutional reform as a means to attain a political solution to Guyana’s sharp ethno-political divisions remained a burning necessity, which was broadly supported by the Guyanese people.

“It is this yearning that keeps alive the periodic courtship for political unity between the main political parties. Constitutional reform is now even more important at this crucial time when Guyana’s coming oil wealth will increase challenges to transparency and good governance”, Ramkarran posited.

He said an agreed political structure that allowed for participation of both parties in governance, while maintaining political competition and their separate identities, would create political legitimacy, end discrimination, reduce corruption, introduce more transparency, facilitate an agreed economic policy, establish equitable distribution of economic resources, tackle disadvantages or perceived disadvantages of groups, protect the environment and provide for a green economy.

He said although major reforms were adopted in the 1999-2000 constitution reform process, the failure to find a political solution left many feeling unfulfilled. And this, he said, continues to drive the clamour today.

The agreement made in the Cummingsburg Accord regarding constitutional reform read that: the President should be elected by a majority of electors; there should be separate elections for the presidency and National Assembly; executive powers should be shared between the President, Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Cabinet should comprise members of the parties which have achieved at least 15 per cent of the vote at the national elections; the supreme organs of democratic power should be the President and the National Assembly; and the Prime Minister shall be the person who secures the second highest votes in the presidential elections.

It promised too that the executive powers and responsibilities of the Prime Minister should be increased to include some executive powers and responsibility over the Cabinet; the members of the Cabinet would be subject to the approval of, and removal by, the National Assembly and the immunities of the President would be reduced.