The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform is expected to meet again in the second week of August, when members will receive an update on the work of the Constitution Reform Commission, whose recommendations for changes to Guyana’s Constitution will eventually be reviewed by the committee before being submitted to the National Assembly.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, who chairs both the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform and the Constitution Reform Commission, told Kiskadee Watch recently that the committee’s primary role will be to oversee the work of the commission rather than conduct the constitutional review itself.
He explained that the Parliamentary Standing Committee held its inaugural meeting in June after Parliament constituted its standing and sectoral committees.
Aside from Nandlall, the other members of this committee for the government are Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand; Minister of Education, Sonia Parag; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson; Minister of Labour and Manpower, Keoma Griffith and James A. Bond. The members of the opposition are Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Dr Gordon N. Barker for We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and Ganesh Mahipaul and Dr Dexter Todd of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
According to Nandlall, the Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) was established to ensure wider participation in the reform process than would be possible through the parliamentary committee alone.
Once the commission completes its work, it will submit a report to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, which will examine the recommendations before reporting to the National Assembly.
Nandlall said he intends to present a progress report on the commission’s work when the committee next meets, which he hopes will be during the second week of August.
“We are in Government. We have a country to manage. We have to ensure that we allocate equal time, effort and energy in different directions of Government. Parliament…is one,” he said.
Responding to criticism that Government members have delayed the work of parliamentary committees by failing to attend meetings, Nandlall dismissed the claims and criticised the parliamentary opposition. “The opposition…has nothing to do. All of them are waiting for something to happen in the Parliament. They should get gainful employment somewhere. They have a lot of time on their hands,” he said.
Following the general elections last year, questions were raised as to whether the CRC should not be recomposed to reflect the changed composition of Parliament where WIN is now the major opposition party. WIN was not present in the previous Parliament.
When contacted on July 1st by Kiskadee Watch, Nandlall said the Commission would proceed with its work because it was constituted in accordance with the law before the current parliamentary configuration emerged.
“The commission is properly constituted and as such is moving ahead with its work,” Nandlall said, noting that it had been established before the new parliamentary dispensation.
Pressed on whether the Commission should be reconstituted in light of the changed political landscape, he replied, “The commission is composed as is prescribed by its governing statute. That is all I have to say.”
In response, on July 1st, WIN questioned whether the CRC should continue to function “as though the 2025 General and Regional Elections never occurred”.
Sarabo-Halley argued that the Commission no longer reflected the democratic mandate delivered by voters at the 2025 polls, saying the Guyanese people elected “a new Parliament and a new Official Opposition,” yet the Commission continues to mirror “the parliamentary composition that existed when the Act was passed in 2022.”
She also said WIN will be submitting proposed amendments to the present legislation.
“The real issue is whether a Commission charged with reviewing and recommending changes to Guyana’s supreme law should continue to be constituted as though the 2025 General and Regional Elections never occurred,” she told Kiskadee Watch.
“That is neither good constitutional practice nor good democratic governance. Constitutional reform derives its legitimacy from public confidence, inclusiveness and representation. A Commission that does not reflect the current Parliament inevitably raises legitimate questions about whether the constitutional reform process truly reflects the democratic will of the people,” she added.
Sarabo-Halley noted that the concern extends beyond the Official Opposition, pointing to recommendations by the Carter Center in its final report on the 2025 General and Regional Elections. The observer mission had recommended that Guyana review the composition of the Constitution Reform Commission to ensure it reflects the country’s post-election political landscape and that all parliamentary parties are represented and engaged in the constitutional reform process.
The Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform was among several parliamentary committees constituted in July. WIN Member of Parliament Vishnu Panday was elected Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, while Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira was elected Chair of the Committee on Appointments.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips chairs the Security Sector Committee, WIN MP Duarte Hetsberger heads the Economic Services Committee, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud chairs the Social Services Committee, WIN MP Odessa Primus chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, and Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat leads the Natural Resources Committee.
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