Let voters decide on constitutional changes

Dec 02, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Although Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves lost his referendum to replace St. Vincent’s constitution recently, he ought to be applauded for seeking the people’s approval instead of foisting a new constitution on them.
He respected the peoples’ verdict and made no effort to rig the referendum unlike other leaders in the Caribbean who rigged their votes. No CARICOM country has ever held a free and fair referendum to adopt a new constitution or replace the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). Gonsalves tried it and failed and for this, he deserved full credit.
The St. Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister wanted to make his country a Republic with a complete break from England including a break from the Privy Council. But the voters rejected his move 44% to 56%. I have raveled to several CARICOM countries over the last decade and found little support for Republican status or a break from the Privy Council even though the Privy Council would prefer to cut ties with the former colonies which they find to be a burden.
The only countries that have changed their independence constitution into a republic are Guyana, Trinidad and Dominica, but none of the three sought the approval of the voters via a referendum.
The only countries that subscribe to the CCJ are Guyana and Barbados and neither one has sought the approval of voters in a referendum. Forbes Burnham held a rigged election in 1968 and with his magic two-thirds majority in the illegally constituted parliament broke all ties with England (Queen as head of state and the Privy Council as final court of appeal). A referendum then and now on severing ties with England would fail.
In Barbados, Owen Arthur used his parliamentary majority to replace the Privy Council with the CCJ. He also advocated for a Republican constitution, but did not go for a referendum because public opinion was dead set against it. Bajan intellectuals were also in favour of replacing the Privy Council with the CCJ, but the lawyers and national opinion were against the move. People I spoke with in Barbados were and still are dead set against Republican status (a President as head of state) and replacing the Privy Council and if Arthur had held a vote on it, he would have lost.
A vote to replace the Queen as head of state would also lose. People still love the monarchy as we find in St. Vincent and as I found in opinion surveys in Guyana.
In Dominica, voters were not in favour of the break from England when Prime Minister Patrick John used his majority to sever ties with England. If a vote were held in Dominica, people would rejoin England in a landslide.
In Jamaica, the two major parties have been toying with the idea of a break from England but neither party wants to face a rebuff in a vote which they know would be rejected by voters. In Jamaica, people still love the monarchy and don’t have much faith in local politicians.
In fact, it is the same in all CARICOM or former colonial countries. All over the region, people see benefits with close ties to England and even more benefits when the Queen is still the head of state.
So although voters have rejected the proposed new constitution for St. Vincent, Gonsalves did the right thing. Political leaders should not foist their personal agenda on people. Give the people a voice and let them decide what is best for them!
Vishnu Bisram

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