With the deadline for submission of names being tomorrow, the ruling PPP/C and opposition APNU+AFC have now submitted the names of their nominees for the Constitutional Reform Commission.
“We have consulted and it is the parliamentary commission that had to submit it in keeping with the law and we have submitted them,” APNU+AFC Leader Aubrey Norton yesterday said as he listed Vincent Alexander, Sherwood Lowe, Ganesh Mahipaul, and attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes.
For the PPP/C, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that their nominees are Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira; Attorney General, Anil Nandlall SC; Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai; Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy; and Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony.
The three parties which together hold one seat in parliament have already sent in their nominee and have appointed Timothy Jonas SC to be their representative. A letter to this effect dated January 17, was sent to the Attorney General. The letter to Nandlall was signed by Kian Jabour of A New and United Guyana; Dr Asha Kissoon, Leader of The New Movement; and Lenox Shuman, of the Liberty and Justice Party.
Although being in office for nearly 42 months, the PPP/C government is only now getting around to convening the commission. Analysts had said that it had no interest in constitutional reforms being approved before the next general elections.
More than a year after the Constitution Reform Bill was passed in the National Assembly, government on January 10 this year, dispatched letters for nominees to the Commission to be submitted by next month for swift appointment thereafter.
“On the 10th day of January, on behalf of His Excellency the President, I dispatched letters to the relevant persons and organisations, inviting their nominees to be appointed by the President, to the Constitutional Reform Commission, in accordance with Section 4 of the Constitution Reform Act,” Nandlall told Stabroek News on January 16.
The letters request that the nominees be submitted on or before February 10.
In December last year, Nandlall had apologized on behalf of government for the delay and had assured that the process onward would be swift.
The Constitution Reform Bill was passed in the National Assembly on November 7th last year and the expectation had been that the government would move swiftly to begin the process.
The bill, according to its explanatory memorandum, provides for the establishment of the Constitution Reform Commission (CRC), its membership and terms of reference. It added that the membership of the proposed commission is diverse and the terms of reference and powers are broad enough to ensure that the process is conducted in a consultative manner.
According to the bill, the CRC shall consist of 20 members to be appointed by the President. The ruling PPP/C is expected to nominate five members, APNU+AFC four and the list joinder of LJP, ANUG and TNM is entitled to nominate one member. Additionally, the Bar Association, Labour Movement, National Toshaos Council, private sector, women’s organisations, youth organisations, farmers and each of the three major religions are all entitled to one seat each on the Commission. The bill provides for the President, acting in accordance with his own deliberate judgement, to appoint a chair of the Commission. The Commission is entitled to elect the deputy chairperson. Clause 7 of the bill provides that in order to execute the objectives of the legislation, the Commission shall review the Constitution of Guyana, to provide for the current and future rights, duties, liabilities and obligations of the Guyanese people. In furtherance of that purpose, it shall receive, consider and evaluate submissions for the alteration of the Constitution and report its recommendations to the Standing Committee for transmission to the National Assembly.
The Commission will submit its report to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Constitutional Reform. The Committee is chaired by Nandlall and includes Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand; Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr; and parliamentarian Sanjeev Datadin from the government side of the National Assembly, and Aubrey Norton, Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman, and Amanza Walton-Desir, from the opposition side.
