The first priority is constitutional reform

Dear Editor,

The election is over and the nation has spoken. The May 11 election certainly was one with a difference, distinguishable by the clear choice between continuation of a status quo of unbridled, unapologetic corruption and incompetence, and a government that just didn’t care, versus a chance at change and unity. Though the margin of victory was slim, this election still resonates with the 1953 election when the original PPP led by Jagan and Burnham together confounded British colonial machinations, winning 18 out of 24 seats. As then, in this election the voters for ‘change’ won. But exactly what change were we voting for?

When we look back at what has gone wrong since Independence frustrating realization of the promise of this rich land, what stands out is political dysfunction. The new government faces a daunting task to give the country a fresh start which will entail several priorities. However, given this political history, the first priority in building an enduring legacy of progressive change is to introduce comprehensive constitutional reform. The coalition has shown recognition of this in the Cummingsburg Accord, and by announcing its intention to establish a Constitutional Reform Commission. In this vein, I would like to offer some observations regarding the process of constitutional reform.

Firstly, recent references to constitutional reform in the press seem inordinately preoccupied with the devolution of power from the President to the PM. While this will have to be sorted out as part of the working arrangements of the coalition, this is superficial with regard to constitutional reform. It is after all one government not two, and as the Americans would say, the buck stops with the President in the final analysis. No, the constitutional reform that’s needed is more fundamental relating to the electoral system, the relations between Parliament, the executive and the judiciary; representativeness and the accountability of members of parliament with respect to local communities; giving local communities a greater role in their own management, and so on. The question of whether it should be possible for a party to form the government without commanding a majority of votes as happened in the last administration also needs to be addressed. I believe that no aspect is off-limits for the purpose of comprehensive constitutional reform.

The President has struck the right note by stating that constitutional reform will not be top-down but will be based on consultation with communities across the country. This alone would be a revolutionary step in the Guyana context. At the same time, while the President has warned against ‘cherry-picking’ from other systems, we should not be averse to researching and learning from the experiences of other countries.

The road to fundamental constitutional reform in Guyana will be a tough one because it calls not just for institutional changes but more importantly for changes of attitude among politicians and the rest of the population. Guyanese people have to understand fundamentally that the government works for us, not the other way around, and that political change is normal. The euphoric displays following the recent electoral victory as well as the abominable lack of statesmanship displayed by the PPP/C leadership in not conceding loss are symptomatic of the traumatic impact of government change in Guyana. After all, this is only the second change of government in 51 years! Contrast this with other Caribbean countries and most of the democratic world where governments come and go routinely. It has to be accepted that regular political change and a system that fosters such change is healthy. Indeed, people will be more engaged in the political system and likely to vote the other side in if they know that when the time comes they can vote them out.

And then there is Guyana’s demographic context. A lot is made of ethnic voting in Guyana, but I don’t think that’s all that peculiar. Still, I find it disturbing that over 200,000 people, nearly half the electorate, voted for a government that everyone knew to be incompetent and corrupt, given the choices with which they were presented. The challenge is to create a political environment which addresses generations of mistrust; one where empowered communities take responsibility for their own welfare and seek the pay-off through collaboration and rational choices.

The President and coalition partners have signalled their commitment to constitutional change. Even with their best intentions, the obstacles to success are formidable. For one thing, it will require the cooperation of the opposition which they show no inclination to provide. If comprehensive constitutional reform is to happen, civil society – unions, local communities, professional bodies, religious bodies, private sector, et al – have to play leading, active roles. They have to become aggressively involved in articulating demands and pushing the process in order to provide needed support to those within the political arena who favour change.

 

Yours faithfully,

Desmond Thomas