AFC promises to limit presidential powers, reform constitution and guarantee judicial independence in manifesto

Aug 24, 2025 News

Kaieteur News – The Alliance for Change (AFC) on Friday released its manifesto, in which it is promising to limit presidential powers and to have judicial independence should the party get into government.

The party, within its first 100 days in office, intends to establish a constitutional reform commission that will be tasked with reviewing current constitutional provisions against international democratic standards.

In its constitutional reform framework, the party is pledging to advance reforms that will address the core weaknesses of Guyana’s governance structure. This will include “Limiting Executive Power; reform the powers of the executive presidency to strengthen parliamentary oversight and cabinet accountability,” the AFC said.

The commission which will be making all this possible will consist of “representatives from government, opposition, civil society, trade unions, the private sector, religious groups, youth and women’s organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and the diaspora.”

The AFC said too that it will ensure that there is a fully funded Secretariat to provide administrative, technical, and legal expertise to the Commission while noting that it will be mandatory to conduct widespread consultations both nationally and with the diaspora, to “review existing constitutional provisions against international democratic standards and produce and publish a Draft Revised Constitution for national debate within two years.”

In April 2024, Kaieteur News reported that President Irfaan Ali administered the oath of office to members of the Constitution Reform Commission at the Office of the President, with former acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh being appointed chairman of the body.

Meanwhile, according to the manifesto, the party intends to include the diaspora in national decision-making and the implementation of policies.

There will be mechanisms introduced to guarantee there is ethnic security, fair political presentation and shared governance models to foster inclusive governance.

The framework also spoke to judicial independence, whereby the process for appointing the Chancellor, Chief Justice, and other senior constitutional officers will be reformed to ensure independence, merit, and transparency.

There will be a Rights Commissions, which will “strengthen the roles, powers, and resources of Rights Commissions to safeguard the rights of all Guyanese”

On the side of national patrimony, the party is offering a guarantee that in the Constitution it will be written that every Guyanese has a right to benefit equitably from the nation’s natural wealth.

Additionally, the party has promised reforms to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) “and the broader electoral system to ensure free, fair, transparent, and credible elections.”

Notably the party is looking to do all of this within its first 100 days in office.

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AFC, judicial powers, Manifesto, presidential powers, reform constitution

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