Contending that the process towards arriving at a new Constitution could take some time, former Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Nigel Hughes, is of the firm view that the David Granger-led Administration will not achieve constitutional reform by 2020, as the process requires comprehensive consultation, and the will to start the process so that it does not become a backburner issue.
Former AFC Chairman Nigel Hughes
Hughes made this comment during a panel discussion on Governance and Legal Architecture at the just concluded Guyana Business Summit. The attorney said constitutional reform has been a discussion for many years, and was also a campaign promise made by the AFC. He said given the fact that the Government waited until 2017 to start the process, it could be delayed.
“Does this process have any chance whatsoever of meeting that target? The reality is I don’t personally believe that it will be done, especially when you will have to cover the entire country, covering all ten regions. Is this a realistic goal that this will be achieved prior to elections in 2020?” he questioned Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who was also a member of the panel.
The Minister responded in the affirmative, stating that Government could work to fast-track several aspects of the work already being done to achieve constitutional reform.
On the other hand, representing the parliamentary Opposition on that panel was former Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira, who said that in order for constitutional reform to take place, some human rights aspects have to be strengthened. She also was keen to point out that constitutional reform takes time, and it must be inclusive.
AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan
“It has to go to the bottom house, schools, and people in their own way will say what they want (to) see changed,” she said, explaining that people must be familiar with the concept.
She told the gathering, “Sometimes there is a major mix-up between constitutional reform and legal reform, and that might pose a challenge in the entire process.”
Besides this, the Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) noted there have been many starts and pauses when it comes to constitutional reform. However, she explained that some changes have already been made to the Constitution, particularly as it relates to Recall Legislation and the Oversight Committee on Security (disciplined forces).
The former advisor described the process as magnum opus. “As a politician, I have no clue and I feel shortchanged, because we should have a sense of what Government wants.”
Draft legislation on the Constitutional Reform Bill was tabled in the National Assembly in July, paving the way for the establishment of a Constitutional Reform Consultative Commission to guide this long overdue process. In August last year, Government had established a Constitutional Reform Steering Committee (CRSC), headed by Attorney Nigel Hughes, who had compiled and submitted a report to Prime Minister Nagamootoo in April last year. Constitutional reform was a hot topic during the 2015 General and Regional Elections’ campaign, with the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change) Coalition promising to undertake the task. As part of the reform process, Government had touted major changes to the governance structure, including separate elections to elect a President and National Assembly members; the capping of presidential powers; and changes to the composition of service commissions, among other things.
The Constitutional Reform Steering Committee that was established will be responsible for effecting the changes to the Constitution when Government finalises its decision on the reforms.
