Carter Center urges acceleration of constitutional reform process

Chairman of the Carter Center’s Board of Trustees, Jason Carter, has suggested that Guyana’s political leaders make constitutional reform a top priority in the new Parliament, stressing that the strength of the country’s democracy depends not only on elections but on the institutions that govern between them.
Carter welcomed the previous administration’s establishment of a Constitutional Reform Commission and also urged the new Parliament to accelerate the process, even if the commission has to be reconstituted with the new set of Members of Parliament (MPs).
“We could not be more pleased that in this last term, the Government established a Constitutional Reform Commission. And we would really like to see that commission – if it needs to be reconstituted, because you’ve got a new array of people in the National Assembly – great. Let’s do that quickly and start accelerating the process of constitutional reform,” Carter emphasised. The Carter Center had observed Guyana’s September 1 General and Regional Elections and deployed 50 observers across all 10 electoral districts, covering 234 polling stations and all 17 tabulation centres. During a recent post-election press conference at the Pegasus Corporate Suites, Georgetown, the Mission’s Leader Jason Carter noted that while Guyanese have fought hard for their democracy, the erosion of democratic traditions and systems can often occur gradually rather than through dramatic takeovers.
“Guyanese have fought for their democracy, and it’s a precious thing, and I think most Guyanese know that,” Carter said. “But there are a lot of different ways you can lose a democracy… it can be the traditions of democracy, the systems of democracy, the software of democracy eroding over time. That is why we make this point about the need to focus on what democracy means in between elections.”

Constitutional Reform Commission
Guyana’s 21-member Commission has already been tasked with reviewing the Constitution of Guyana and holding widespread stakeholder consultations on areas to be reformed. The 2022 Constitutional Reform Commission Act has outlined several areas for potential reform, including Indigenous peoples’ rights, fundamental rights, children’s rights, eradication of discrimination, enhancement of race relations, and electoral reform, among others.
While 18 of the 21 members were initially sworn in by President Ali on April 3, 2024, the remaining members did not take their Oaths before the Head of State until May 28, 2024. This was among the factors that prevented the Commission from holding its first meeting.
These 20 members have to be drawn from political parties (five from the ruling party, four from the main Opposition, and one from the joinder parties), while the 10 remaining persons would be drawn from the three main religious groups, the Private Sector, the Guyana Bar Association, the National Toshaos Council, the Labour Movement, women’s organisations, as well as nominees representing farmers and youths.
During the April 3 swearing-in ceremony, President Ali told the Commission members that while these areas are wide-ranging, they are not exhaustive in their scope of work. He further noted that the reform must be drafted in clear and accessible language that is comprehensible to the average individual. This, according to the Head of State, would ensure that all citizens understand their rights and obligations, thereby facilitating active participation in the democratic process, and reinforcing the mutual understanding between the Government and the governed.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has already assured the public that it will play an integral role in deciding which reforms are undertaken.
Constitutional reform was promised in the PPP/C 2020 Manifesto, where it was further outlined that consultation with the populace and important stakeholders and a broad-based Constitutional Reform Commission would drive the process.