Low-hanging fruits

Feb 28, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Constitutional reform has been consistently a longstanding promise in the Manifestoes of the country’s main political parties. In its 2020 Manifesto, the PPPC again promised constitutional reform and has taken steps to establish a Constitutional Reform Commission. The APNU+AFC in turn committed contributing to a constitution that reflected the will of the people of Guyana.

Given past experiences, however, there is bound to be skepticism about the potential success of this process. Both of Guyana’s main political parties appear comfortable with the existing Constitution, despite their constant promise to revise it.

The last major reforms to the country’s Constitution took place in 2009. But despite the range and depth of those reforms, there remained demands for more reforms, particularly in respect to the powers of the Presidency and the need for power-sharing arrangements.

The larger issues of power sharing and reducing the powers of the President are likely to face resistance to change. A great deal of money and time is going to be fritted away on seeking non-achievable consensus on these issues.

Parliament has had a Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform. But the work of this Committee has not led to any substantive reforms since 2009

Both the PPPC and the PNCR, giving their record in government, are comfortable with not sharing power with each other. And both are comfortable with the powers of the President.

These are the two main ‘hot potatoes’ of constitutional reform. But there is no reason why progress cannot be made on the low-hanging fruits and around which there can be immediate consensus.

One of the most accessible and non-contentious aspects of constitutional reform in Guyana is the country’s name. The current title, “Co-operative Republic of Guyana,” carries historical baggage from an era when cooperative socialism was pursued but ultimately proved to be an ineffective and failed governance model. The reality is that cooperative socialism is no longer part of the ideological orientation of the PNCR which was the party that engineered the name change of the country from “Guyana” to the “Cooperative Republic of Guyana”.

The first Article of the Constitution states that the country shall be known as the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. But most Guyanese still refer to their homeland as “Guyana”.

Reverting to the original official name, ‘Guyana,’ as designated at Independence, is a low-hanging fruit that is non-contentious. By shedding the cumbersome and irrelevant appendage of “Co-operative Republic of,” Guyana can project a more straightforward name for the country.

Guyana’s Constitution also contains ideological vestiges that may not reflect either the realities or aspirations of the nation. In the case of Guyana, references to socialism and cooperative ideals are relics of a bygone era. The country has moved away from the pursuit of cooperative socialism, and it is time for the Constitution to reflect this ideological shift.

A pragmatic approach to constitutional reform entails expunging references to ideologies that no longer hold relevance. Guyana is not in a transition from capitalism to socialism, and maintaining such references in the Constitution serves only to perpetuate an outdated narrative.

Another low-hanging fruit are the numerous constitutional commissions. These are costly bodies to maintain and their output and effectiveness are subject to debate. An evaluation of whether these rights commissions are needed should be undertaken. Most are toothless. A small country like Guyana does not need all these Constitutional commissions.

Constitutional reform often encounters challenges due to the divisive nature of certain issues. By focusing on low-hanging fruits, the reform process can sidestep contentious debates and facilitate the building of consensus among diverse political and social stakeholders. Changing the country’s name and removing outdated ideological references are areas where agreement is more likely to be reached.

Achievable goals will contribute to the credibility of the reform process, demonstrating tangible progress to the public. While power-sharing and more complex constitutional amendments may be long-term objectives, addressing low-hanging fruits creates a foundation for trust-building and cooperation among political parties. This approach ensures that constitutional reform is seen as a practical and effective process, rather than an idealistic pursuit with uncertain outcomes.

This is why a more pragmatic approach to constitutional reform in Guyana involves focusing on low-hanging fruits, such as changing the country’s name and removing outdated ideological references. These are achievable goals that can lay the groundwork for more substantial reforms in the future.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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• constant, Guyana, Manifestoes, Peeping Tom, political

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