Some questions about the proposed new Constitution

12.JUNE.09

Editor: So a bill for a new Constitution saw its first reading in the House of Parliament on May 28th. The Opposition Leader, constrained by his order that he should stick to about 20 minutes in his presentation, seemed to obey, but the Honorable Prime Minister spoke for over an hour, clearly debating the bill.{{more}} Bills are not debated upon their first reading. Where were the house rules here? Was there some special provisions for the PM? How could he be allowed to debate and there be no chance for rebuttal?

Dr. Hamid Ghany confidently spoke of how St. Vincent and the Grenadines would become the fourth (4th) Republic in the region, carefully explaining the presidential status in the region’s few republics and what kind we will have. Why then does the actual bill, a copy of which was purchased for me the next day, not say anything about the “Republic of St. Vincent and the Grenadines”? Clearly we understand there are, as it were, ‘half-republics’ etc, but certainly moving towards a republic is a good step and the CRC did say in their revised Final report to the House of Assembly-28th September, 2006” -” we have, therefore, recommended a change to republican status” (see page 18 of that report). This they concluded on submissions by the people during the consultations. So what happened to the people’s suggestions now? Somebody said no, so they changed their mind? And yet we hear it is a Constitution from the “bowels of the people”, right?

Our preamble remains the same with no reflection of the important description of our rights as inalienable and being endowed to us by our Creator God. If those guiding the process could see it fit to give us a “guiding principles” section – a second preamble if you ask me – and if this section is supposed to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, if it is a reflection of the deep interest of our leaders in our rights and freedoms, why for God’s sake can’t you describe our rights and freedoms as INALIENABLE! There is hardly a genius entry in the guiding principles because there are already provisions in law to guarantee most if not all its tenets. For example, the current protection of freedom from discrimination would safeguard the equal rights and freedoms of women and men. What kind of sovereign power can the people really have when their inalienable rights and freedoms are not described thus?

Why make it easier to change future constitutions by reducing the interval period from 90 days to 60 days between the 1st and 2nd reading of a bill to alter the constitution? Why require only 60% of the people’s vote in a referendum instead of the current two-thirds (2/3) or 66.666..7% majority? Who ever asked for less time in the future to scrutinize proposed changes to the supreme law of the land? Whose doing was this really??? Is there some hidden agenda?

Finally, why call us unconstitutional, backward, unprogressive, ‘wrong-thinking people’ (implicitly) and anti-constitution reformers, just because we refuse the ‘YES’ in its entirety method of voting in the referendum? Are we to accept that even though we hate the idea that our leaders no longer see it fit to give us 90 but 60 days to debate future proposals to future constitution bills, we should close our eyes and say “YES” to even that point? What are we? Robots which move at their remote controls? Do we not have natural psychological functions like thought, belief, freedom to agree and disagree, freedom of choice, conscience, speech and expression? Are we not human beings? And this is just a very preliminary set of questions on the whole matter. May Vincentians wake up and cry and sigh for the great wrongs being done against us! Let us demand change and accountability. It is our right as the true rulers of our destiny, the real determiners of our selves, the ones with the power to control our existence. Let us assert our human self-determination, the autonomy of the individual, our autonomous consciences and psychological freedom. God will stand with the people in this regard and we shall prevail!

Anesia O.Baptiste

Nesia_tsda@yahoo.com