Removing shades of Executive abuse from Constitution a tough task

Feb 20, 2017 News

– Prime Minister

While the process for Constitutional Reform seems to be a slow one, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo recently guaranteed that it is going to be a sure one.
The First Vice President made this statement during the launch of the Multi Stakeholder Group for the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GEITI).
There, the Minister stated that there has been a reaction to a process he initiated for constitutional reform. He said that questions have been raised as to whether the reform is honest and even sustainable.
The Minister noted however that he has been a part of constitutional reform processes since 1996 and the task is never an easy one.
He stressed that there is no shortcut to achieving something such as constitutional reform, a move that is significant and would change the lives of people and the system under which Guyanese exists.
“In 1980, we were all excited about the process of constitutional reform. And though we fought for a better Constitution in post-independent and republican Guyana, we found that some of the changes in the 1980 Constitution had placed some of the advocates for reform against those very changes.”
The Prime Minister said that some of the features of 1980 that had saddled the Constitution and the system with shades of authoritarianism and executive abuse have become entrenched in the society and will not be easy to remove.

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

“Those who think that constitutional reform is a slogan, or that it could be achieved easily, our history has shown that it is a fight, that it is a struggle. I believe that when this process was started, we needed to be guided by a steering committee that would map out the scope of the intended reform and that we will be able to have along the road, perhaps a sign post of what could be achieved in the short, medium and long term.”
The First Vice President stated the Steering Committee was an honest beginning to put in place, a system where one could receive advice from peers on how to proceed.
Having being tasked as Prime Minister with responsibility for Constitutional Reform and Governance, Nagamootoo said, “I can tell you that I am serious about constitutional reform because it is going to become the bedrock upon which we build all these lofty edifices like GEITI …and how our extractive industry can best serve our society.”
With regard to the next process, the Prime Minister said that this would entail going to Parliament to start consultations with the Opposition and civil society groups.
“We are in early days yes, but we can do this with some alacrity to take consultative reform legislation to the Parliament; to set up a group that will drive the evidence staking, that will drive the fan out to listen to what people would want as changes in their constitution.”
The Prime Minister is convinced that the process ahead for Constitutional Reform is going to be an exciting and dynamic one.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News