Constitutional Reform? Ask my successor, says PM

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has made it clear that he will not be making another attempt at a referendum.{{more}}

At the national council meeting of the Unity Labour Party (ULP), held at the Peace Memorial Hall on Tuesday, September 27, Gonsalves, who is also Political Leader of the ULP, said that he was going to leave the challenge of constitution reform to someone else.

“Maybe sometime in the future, other people will come to deal with that matter. Not me. Another leader will put that issue in a referendum again. Not me.”

On November 25, 2009, the nation went to the polls to decide if the country was going to be governed by a new constitution. The proposed referendum was voted down by the electorate.

The Prime Minister spoke of his reluctance to revisit the referendum, as he reminded party supporters that had the new constitution been accepted, changes would have been made to the law concerning the death penalty, among other issues.

He indicated that his focus will be on other projects.

“I building the (Argyle International) airport. We are going to start the new city in the fourth term. Ah going to finish the medical complex; we will have it up and running, consolidate and extend the Education Revolution, revitalize agriculture, strengthen the tourism sector….

Constitution reform? ask my successor. I put it one time, they say ‘NO’; that’s alright with me. I’m not going over that myself again.”(JJ)