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Tuesday, June 14, 2005 – Government will soon activate the Commission for
the Review of the Constitution of
Saint Lucia, which will be chaired by a prominent retired judge. That’s the word
from
Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony.
The Prime Minister announced Monday that he had finally received. the
nominations of the Opposition for membership of the Commission and their
concurrence that it will be chaired by distinguished retired judge, Madam
Justice Suzie d’Auvergne.
The Prime Minister, who promised to make Constitutional Reform a priority of his
government since first taking office in 1997, said now that the Opposition had
finally made its nominations, the Government “will now move to effect the
appointments and operationalise the Commission.”
It was on November 21, 2003, that the Prime Minister and the then Leader of the
Opposition, Hon. Arsene James, jointly announced bipartisan parliamentary
support for the establishment of the proposed Commission to Review and Reform
the Constitution.
They told a press conference at the House of Assembly that they had agreed the
review and reform process was necessary, as the Constitution was then about to
be 25 years old.
The Prime Minister outlined the approaches and steps necessary to activate the
commission, including nomination of members and agreement on a Chairman.
It was also agreed that the Commission would include nominees of the Government
and Opposition parties, and Civil Society, but it would exclude members o the
House of Assembly or the Senate.
The Terms of Reference would include two years of work by the widely
representative Commission, to be chaired by a nominee jointly agreed upon by the
Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and appointed by the Governor
General.
On February 17, 2004, the House of Assembly adopted a Resolution on the
Establishment of the proposed Commission to Review and Reform the Constitution
of Saint Lucia. The Senate adopted the same resolution on April 14, 2004.
Known as Statutory Instrument No. 50 of 2004, the! Resolution of Parliament was
published in the official St. Lucia Government Gazette on July 16, 2004.
The objectives of the exercise, according to the Resolution, would include
“promotion of a meaningful expansion and widening of democratic participation by
Citizens in Government.” It would also “address possible weaknesses in the
Constitutional framework which political practice has highlighted over the
years.”
In addition, the exercise would “re-fasion the Constitution so that it better
accords with our changing social and political circumstances” and it would also
“promote better governance and greater equity in the constitutional framework
generally.”
On September 20 2004, Prime Minister Anthony wrote to various national.
organizations and entities inviting them to name nominees for the proposed
commission.
Speaking on the issue on radio St. Lucia’s Monday evening programme In the
Public Interest (IPI), the Prime Minister said now that the Government had the
concurrence of the Opposition, the process of appointing the nominated members
will soon get under way.
Noting that the Commission will have to report “no less than 24 months after its
appointment,” the Prime Minister said he expected its work to continue “beyond
the next general election.”
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