Only about 20 submissions received from public for Constitution reform

…despite years of calls for reform political parties, civil society groups yet to submit proposals

Some three months after the Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) invited the public to make written recommendations on areas they want to see changes made, just around 20 submissions have been received to date.

This was revealed by Attorney General (AG) and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, who is one of the 21 members on the Commission.

Back in July, the Commission had issued an ad, inviting the public to make written submissions on areas to be reviewed in the Constitution of Guyana during the reform process. The CRC had set a deadline of December 31, 2026, for these proposals to be made. “Unfortunately, the response has not been what we anticipated it to be,” Nandlall stated during an appearance on the Starting Point podcast. “I’m told that we have some just over 20 statements from the public. We have had a publication inviting statements running for several months now and only 20 [were received].”

Just last month, the Legal Affairs Minister had told reporters on the sidelines of an event that many of the submissions received up to that time “hardly relate” to the constitutional and the reform process.

At the time, Nandlall had opined that the Commission may need to look at new ways to generate public interest and attract more public participation in the process – something which he reiterated during his appearance on the podcast.

The CRC had explained in a public notice that it will adopt a two-tiered consultation process consisting of written submissions from the public and public engagements throughout Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, as well as consultations with members of the Guyanese diaspora.

According to Nandlall during the podcast, the CRC had planned to commence the public consultations once they started receiving the submissions. “Our intention [was] that as we get the statements, once we get a sufficient number of statements, we begin the public engagements so we don’t have to wait until December. But we anticipated much more than 20 over the period for which the advertisement or the public invitation has been out. So, we may have to go out there and even begin to encourage people that you know this initiative is important and they must come on board or else the process will fail, because as I said the process was designed to be driven by the public,” he noted.

Shocking absence

In fact, the AG pointed out that over the years, there have been mounting calls from civil society stakeholders and even political parties for reforms in specific areas but that the opportunity is here for their participation, those organisations and individuals have been mum.

“There is a shocking absence of their input,” Nandlall declared. “Even the political parties have not made submissions. I would have thought that, you know, there are so many pressure groups out there, so many interest groups, so many groups advocating for different causes that they would have jumped upon this opportunity to prosecute their particular mandate and this is the forum to do so. But unfortunately, I have not seen that enthusiasm expressed in the form of statements. So, we may have to begin [public consultations] with what we have and try other methods and other forms of encouragement to bring awareness to this issue.”

In the July 2026 notice, the Commission had stated that the reform process will examine a broad range of issues identified in the CRC Act 2022, while remaining open to additional proposals from the public. Among the areas identified for review are the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Guyanese; the rights of Indigenous peoples and children; the elimination of discrimination; improving race relations and promoting ethnic security and equal opportunity; and ensuring that minority views are adequately considered in decision-making and governance.

The Commission will also consider proposals relating to electoral reform, including the composition of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the method of appointing its chairman and members, and its jurisdiction over national registration and the electoral process.

Other areas of focus include measures to strengthen economic, social and cultural rights; preserve the independence of the Judiciary; safeguard public funds and promote integrity in public life; improve the effectiveness of the National Assembly; and enhance the capacity and functioning of the local Government system.

Following the consultation process, the Commission will compile the submissions and prepare recommendations to be submitted to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional Reform, which will then transmit the report to the National Assembly.

According to the Commission, the legislation requires it to consult with the widest possible cross-section of Guyanese, including communities across all regions, religious and cultural organisations, political parties, youth groups, students, women’s organisations, the private sector, professional bodies and the media.

Persons interested in making recommendations to the CRC are advised to clearly label their submissions with: “Written Proposal on Constitution Reform.” Submissions must include the contributor’s full name, address, email address and other contact information, along with a scanned copy of a valid photo identification. Proposals may be delivered by hand or mailed to the Office of the Secretariat on the fifth floor of the Constitution Reform Commission building at 211 Camp and Lamaha Streets, Georgetown, or submitted via email.

The Commission noted that individuals whose submissions require further discussion may be invited to participate in face-to-face consultations.

The 21-member Constitution Reform Commission, chaired by former Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Carl Singh (Ret’d), was sworn in by President Dr Irfaan Ali in April 2024 after the highly-anticipated Constitution Reform Commission Act was passed in the National Assembly in 2022, paving the way for the review of the country’s supreme laws – a manifesto commitment made by the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).