Within three months of taking office, an APNU+AFC government will appoint a Commission to amend the Constitution with the full participation of the people, which among other things, will reduce the powers of the president, the coalition’s manifesto says.
“APNU+AFC recognizes that the Constitution, in its current form, does not serve the best interest of Guyana or its people. Within three months of taking up office, APNU+AFC will appoint a Commission to amend the Constitution with the full participation of the people. The new Constitution will put the necessary checks and balances in place to consolidate our ethos of liberal democracy. Freedom of speech, reduction of the power of the President and the Bill of Rights will be enshrined in the document,” the document released yesterday stated.
According to the grouping, the PPP has “raped” the Constitution by its abuse of presidential powers and ignoring of statutory obligations, including the appointment of Commissions and oversight bodies.
It states that constitutional, electoral and parliamentary reforms are imperative. In this regard, an APNU+AFC government upon taking office will immediately appoint a Constitutional Reform Commission consisting of representatives of all major stakeholders – trades unions, the private sector, religious and faith-based organisations, women, youths, professional organizations and the University.
“Its mandate will be to undertake the urgent task of fashioning comprehensive reforms, for early implementation, designed to guarantee a democratic society free from the abuse of citizens by those in high office fuelled by the exercise of arbitrary powers and behaviour by the Executive which is inconsistent with the spirit and provisions of the Constitution,” the manifesto states.
As it relates to the powers and responsibilities of the President and Prime Minister, the manifesto says that these will be “re-balanced” in a manner meant to reduce abuse, avoid conflicts of interest and facilitate the more efficient execution of state functions. The coalition also pledged to ensure the effective separation of powers between the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary and implement checks and balances to protect the independence of key Constitutional Office holders and prevent Executive abuse. It also committed to protecting the operational and financial independence of the Judiciary and Constitutional Commissions.
According to the manifesto, an APNU+AFC government will establish and entrench an inclusionary democracy through the appointment of a Government of National Unity which would create opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the state, with particular emphasis on the areas of decision-making that affect their well-being. It pledged governance “that is transparent and accountable while placing emphasis on national development for the benefit of all our people.”
The coalition also says that it will implement a sustained programme for the healing, reconciliation and social integration of the nation. “In this context, all legal, political and economic improprieties would be dealt with within the framework of the Rule of Law, without any form of witch-hunting,” the manifesto says.
National Unity
It noted that national unity is the essence for the coming into being of the APNU+AFC Coalition. “This spirit and imperative of unity, consultation and cooperation will inform all decision-making with respect to political, economic and social development issues. The practice of One Party Rule and Winner-takes-all is now history,” the coalition asserted.
According to the manifesto, an APNU+AFC government will allow cultural and religious leaders to advise Cabinet on policy matters. It also pledged to de-politicise and strengthen the Ethnic Relations Commission, Women and Gender Equality Commission, Indigenous Peoples Commission and Rights of the Child Commission while saying that it will be ensured that citizens’ complaints against state officials are heard and addressed by enhancing the prominence and importance of the Office of the Ombudsman.
APNU+AFC also says that it will appoint an in situ Parliamentary Counsel and establish a National Assembly Budget Office. It pledged to provide sufficient resources to permit the National Assembly to appoint technically competent and well paid research and analytical support for the work of Parliamentarians and National Assembly Committees and to appoint an expert Stakeholder Committee to oversee the implementation of the outstanding recommendations of the Constitutional Reform Commission.
The coalition noted too that local government elections have not been held since 1994 and committed to “meaningful” local government reforms and to holding these elections shortly after assuming office.
Meantime, the manifesto noted that there are over 700,000 Guyanese living abroad and says that Guyana has arguably the most important pool of financial and human resources, skills and talents outside of its boundaries. It said that the Diaspora represents a critical element in the current and future development of Guyana.
“While the Diaspora is seen as a source of remittances – currently about US$400 million each year in cash and gifts – APNU+AFC will implement a series of incentives to attract this talent and their wealth in the development of Guyana,” the manifesto says. The coalition said that it will establish Diaspora desk offices at Guyana’s embassies and High Commissions in New York, Toronto, London and the Caribbean to solicit investments and entrepreneurial and other skills to develop Guyana with clear constitutional guarantees that investors’ assets will be protected, regardless of who is in Government.
Meantime, according to the manifesto, the coalition will guarantee the independence of the media, freedom of access to information, the liberalisation of broadcasting and the removal of barriers to access to the state media. It also pledged to appoint an independent Broadcast Authority.
It also pledged to agree to a protocol to break the deadlock over the appointment of a consensually agreed Chancellor and Chief Justice and bring an end to the practice of appointing governing party “cronies” to the Magistracy and Bench.
