Constitutional reform not contest for advantage but national responsibility – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali says that the constitutional reform process in Guyana must be undertaken with utmost care, emphasising that it is not a contest for advantage but a national responsibility with a focus on the long-term interest of the country and its people.

“Constitutional reform must be approached with care, not as a contest for advantage, not as a weapon of division, but as a solemn national responsibility with the long-term interest of Guyana and future generations at its centre,” the Guyanese leader stressed during his address at the national flag-raising ceremony on Monday evening to usher in Guyana’s 60th Independence Anniversary.

The current 21-member Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) was sworn in by President Ali in 2024 after the highly-anticipated Constitution Reform Commission Act was passed in the National Assembly in 2022.

The Act sought to establish a commission to review the country’s supreme laws, outlining the key areas that should be considered for potential reforms. These include the fundamental rights of citizens, Indigenous peoples’ rights, rights of children, the eradication of discrimination, enhancement of race relations, promotion of ethnic security and equal opportunity, safeguarding minority rights, electoral reforms, economic, political, and cultural rights, fiduciary responsibility, and bolstering integrity in public office, as well as the functioning of the National Assembly and local Government.

During the April 3, 2024, swearing-in ceremony, President Ali had told the Commission members that while these areas are wide-ranging, they are not exhaustive in their scope of work. He further noted that the Constitution must be drafted in clear and accessible language that is comprehensible to the average individual. This, according to the Head of State, would ensure that all citizens understand their rights and obligations, thereby facilitating active participation in the democratic process and reinforcing the mutual understanding between the Government and the governed.

Former acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh (retired), was appointed by the president as the Chairman of the Commission. The other members included representatives from the various political parties in the previous 12th Parliament and civil society representatives.

They are Attorney General Anil Nandlall, along with Ministers Gail Teixeira, Dr Frank Anthony, Pauline Sukhai, and Kwame McCoy for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government; Vincent Alexander, Sherwood Lowe, Ganesh Mahipal, and previously Nigel Hughes for the then A Partnership National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Opposition; while Timothy Jonas was the other political appointee, representing the joinder parties that held one seat in the last National Assembly; Labour Movement Representative Aslim Singh; National Toshaos Council Representative Derrick John; Private Sector Representative Ramesh Persaud; Women’s Representative Kim Kyte-Thomas; Youth Representative Dr Josh Kanhai; Muslim Representative Imran Ally; Hindu Representative Radha Krishna Sharma; Christian Representative Keoma Griffith; Farmers’ Representative Adrian Anamayah; and the Guyana Bar Association Representative Kamal Ramkarran.

However, following the September 2025 General and Region Elections, there were significant shifts in the political make-up in the 65-member Parliament. The PPP/C Government cemented its Parliamentary majority with 36 seats.

But the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), a new political party formed by US-sanctioned and now indicted businessman Azruddin Mohamed, secured the spot as the main Parliamentary opposition with 16 seats, effectively demoting the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) to a minority opposition party with just 12 seats and kicking out the Alliance For Change (AFC) from the National Assembly. The former coalition partners had contested the 2025 polls separately.

In addition, another new political party, Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), managed to get one seat on the opposition’s side. These changes to the current Parliamentary composition had raised the need for amendments to the Constitutional Reform Commission Act, which caters to five representatives from the Government and five from the Parliamentary opposition, including four from the main opposition party and one from the joinder parties, which no longer exists.

Already, AFC’s Nigel Hughes has resigned from the commission. Nevertheless, the work of the Constitution Reform Commission is ongoing. Just last week, Attorney General Nandlall said the commission is operational and is preparing an outreach programme intended to gather public input across the country.

The Commission met to iron out the details of the public outreaches. However, Nandlall told the Guyana Times on Thursday that in addition to the public engagements, persons would also have the opportunity to submit their recommendations to the Commission for consideration.

“The Commission is currently finalising its workplan, which includes, very shortly, the invitation of written submissions and recommendations from the public. And that would be followed by public consultations,” the AG indicated.