Govt aiming to complete constitutional reform in 2026 – Teixeira

The Government of Guyana is aiming to complete constitutional reform in 2026, a process which it noted will be thorough and people-centred.
This is according to Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira, who contends that the consultation process for this exercise will take into account the concerns and suggestions raised by citizens, Parliament, the National Assembly, human rights groups, and various committees.
The Minister, who was at the time participating in a discussion on the Guyana Dialogue programme, explained that Government would not rush the process and sacrifice efficiency for expediency.

“We are starting in 2024, I don’t think they will be finished in time for 2025, because we have to go across the country. We cannot bring a constitution that doesn’t involve the people and what they are suggesting and, of course, the changes in the Constitution that require a referendum, some changes require two-thirds majority,” Minister Teixeira said.
The Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister added that the consultation exercise will be national and inclusive, and cover the management of elections, fiduciary accountability, enhancing rights of Guyanese and ensuring constitutional language is simple, among others.
In this regard, she posited that Government would ensure that the Committee on Constitutional Reform followed the model used in the past, that is, with half of the members from civil society and equal representation from Government and the Opposition.
Additionally, a platform will be incorporated to ensure that the Guyanese Diaspora is also contributing to the process meaningfully.
“We are still an emerging democratic nation, so the consulting process has to include everybody, no one is excluded… Consultation must be recognised as a good-faith effort by the Government, and this Government to reach everybody regardless of their political affiliation, how they define themselves ethnically, religiously, gender-wise, etc. So, for us consultation is a fundamental platform of our Government,” the Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister added.

Constitutional
Reform members
The 20-member Constitutional Reform Commission has 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 will be drawn from religious groupings, 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.
The ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that it had nominated AG Anil Nandlall; Minister Teixeira; Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony; Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai; and Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, to be Government’s representatives on the Commission.
Similarly, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton revealed the nominees named by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition to sit on the Commission.
They are Opposition Commissioner at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vincent Alexander; Economist Sherwood Lowe; Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul and Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes.
In addition, the Joinder Parties – A New and United Guyana (ANUG); the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM) – which hold one seat in Parliament have also submitted their nominee to the Government in the person of ANUG’s General Secretary, Timothy Jonas, SC.
Meanwhile, now that all 20 nominations have been received, President Ali is expected to swear in these members soon, as to establish the long-awaited Constitutional Reform Commission. Once the Commission is in place, a comprehensive consultation process is expected to begin with citizens on critical laws that needed to be reformed.
The way was paved for the establishment of the Reform Commission, and the commencement of the reform process following the passage of the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill in the National Assembly in November 2022. Back in August of 2022, the Government presented the Constitutional Reform Commission Bill 2022 in the National Assembly. That Bill sought the establishment of the 20-member Commission to review the country’s supreme laws.
According to the provisions of the Bill, the Commission will review the Constitution to provide for the current and future rights, duties, liabilities and obligations of the Guyanese people. It is mandated for that purpose to receive, consider, and evaluate submissions for the alteration of the Constitution, and report its recommendations to the standing committee for transmission to the National Assembly.
Last year, Government had earmarked the sum of $150 million in the 2023 National Budget for constitutional reform activities.
This year, additional monies have been allocated towards the establishment of the Commission, including the rental of a building to house the Commission. During the Consideration of the Budget 2024 Estimates last month, AG Nandlall disclosed that the Government had identified the building on Middle Street, Georgetown that was used for the conduct of several Commissions of Inquiry, as the office for the Commission.