Dear Editor,
Having examined Stabroek News’ article, `New process needed to forge new constitution – Roopnaraine’ (28/12/2014) elected leaders need to be mindful they are not sending a message to the citizenry that they are contemptuous of their intelligence. Said article reported that Rupert Roopnaraine has called for a new constitution and in so doing has stated the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional Reform has met twice during the life of this current parliament.
The Committee’s last meeting was held on July 17, 2012, which is more than two years before the parliament was prorogued on November 10, 2014. It is unfortunate that Roopnaraine sought to blame the non-working of the Committee on prorogation. Further, there remain outstanding recommendations and non-assented Bills coming out from the work of Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC).
The proponents for reform and a new constitution need to understand that what confronts the people of this society is the absence of holding our government and elected officials’ feet to the fire and have them deliver for the people. How must this nation accept that a constitutional committee has not met for more than two years and yet at the same time its members be allowed to blame their non-meeting on prorogation?
On the issue of proportional representation (PR) addressed in the said article and the concern that it sacrifices needed accountability by the Members of Parliament (MP), this does not have to be so. Each MP is assigned portfolios and regional responsibilities and is expected to service the citizens and communities consistent with the assignments. Our MPs are representatives of the nation’s highest democratic organ (Article 50) but the society has failed to put in place systems to have them function effectively and efficiently.
Presently our MPs are denied the basic resources to serve their constituents, such as a constituency office. This is unacceptable and this nation must take a cue from Jamaica, Barbados, etc, where MPs have constituency offices and support services paid for by the State. Citizens and politicians must demand that budgetary allocations be put in place to provide our MPs with resources. No longer must we allow the party that forms the government to determine which MP will receive moneys for the execution of duties since all are elected by the people and must be given appropriate and adequate resources.
The issues raised by those spoken to in the article are not matters that highlighted deficiencies in the constitution. What these persons have highlighted are the lack of vision, will and commitment that ought to come in a representative political system of which ours is built. The society must sit up and take note that the complaints have nothing to do with the constitution.
On the issue of presidential powers being reduced or removed such requires constitutional changes and implementation. There remains a series of amendments to the constitution languishing since the CRC completed its work, so what assurance is being given to this society that when future changes are made or a new constitution written that amendments will be implemented or the new constitution respected? There is no article in the constitution that says amendments must not be implemented yet they are not being implemented. There is Article 119A that gives power to a constitutional reform committee yet it is not functioning. The public is urged to take note of these glaring neglects in addressing the people’s business.
The sixty-five (65) MPs in the National Assembly are paid by workers/taxpayers. They have sworn to uphold the Constitution but some are not respecting of it and are being allowed to blame a constitution that empowers them to act. Some members of the public are also enabling this conduct by blaming the constitution and not holding MPs accountable for their intransigence. Again, this issue is not about the constitution. For Roopnaraine, one of the leaders of the CRC, is intimating to us that the National Assembly and the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional Reform have failed to discharge their responsibility to the society.
It is incumbent that the question be posed as to where the society will start, when taking into consideration that so many areas of the existing constitution and outstanding amendments were never activated, tried and tested? A constitution is an instrument that reflects governance in society and if the present is not respected, no new or amended one will be respected in the absence of citizens’ activism.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis