Legal Affairs Minister to amend constitution before demitting office

Jan 23, 2009 News

The Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minister, Senior Counsel Doodnauth Singh, after a noticeable absence from sittings of the National Assembly, yesterday tabled the Constitution (Amendment ) Bill.
The amendment will insert into the constitution this clause: “There shall be a Standing Committee of the National Assembly to be named the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector, and it shall have responsibility for examining the policies and administration of the entities in the Security sector, namely the Disciplined Forces of Guyana.”
The move flows from the Bourda Accord which was signed following the National Stakeholders Forum held in the wake of the Lusignan and Bartica massacres.
Among some of the other recommendations are to expedite the appointments of the six Constitutional Commissions within 90 days; to convene and activate the Parliamentary Constitutional Reform Committee to address current issues before it and to examine further areas for Constitutional reform; to ensure the meaningful and effective participation of civil society in these Parliamentary processes and to explore an agreed mechanism for the continuation of the National Stakeholders’ Forum, among others.