Dear Editor,
While I am supportive of a referendum on a constitution ‘There should be a referendum to change presidential powers‘ as advocated by M Maxwell (SN, December 5), I think people should resist efforts to reform the current fraudulent constitution.
The country needs a completely new constitution or a return to the democratic constitution handed to us by the British. I am surprised that Mr Maxwell, who has been advocating greater democracy in our fragile nation, is only calling for the reduction of powers of the executive. May I remind readers that the nation never gave their assent to the constitution foisted on it by the late Forbes Burnham in 1980. Prior to 1992, all the then opposition parties said they would change the constitution once they came into office. Since 1992, all of the parties only want to inherit the powers enshrined in the constitution.
I think the people should be asked in a referendum to choose between the constitution of 1966 or the 1980 Burnham constitution. Alternatively, a new constitution can be drafted that restores the prime minister as head of government and a president as ceremonial head of state as is the norm in other Caricom states.
To reform the Burnham constitution is to give legitimacy to a fraud perpetrated upon the nation in 1978 when less than 10% turned out to vote in the referendum with Burnham claiming that some 80% voted.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
