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ABOUT US
The Constitution Reform Forum is a non-governmental organisation which was established to encourage discussion through a participative process on constitution reform in Trinidad and Tobago. This website is designed to give the public a greater insight into our work and to encourage the discussion through online forum on the various issues that form the fundamental bread and butter of constitution reform as well as those issues that arise from time to time.
We hope that you will make this effort a success through your active participation in the discussion both online and at our live forum on various constitutional issues which we host from time to time.
• The CRF Mission
• How the CRF Functions
• CRF Working Committee
• Who can join the CRF
• The CRF Process
• CRF’s Proposals on the Process of Constitution Reform
• Current Conclusions on Constitution Reform
• Progress to date on obtaining support for CRF’s agenda
• CRF Public Discussions/Fora
• CRF Papers
The CRF Mission
The Mission of the CRF is to serve as a catalyst for constitution reform
(CR) in Trinidad & Tobago, through facilitating discussion and debate
on the issue.
How the CRF Functions
The CRF is a flexible network of individuals and organisations. It functions
through a working committee, of ten persons, which meets ad hoc, coordinating
activities and meetings with organisations and its membership. Meetings
with the membership occur on the second Saturday of each month. Efforts
are made to alternate meetings between the North and South of Trinidad.
Plans are being made to begin this regular meeting process in Tobago as
well. Elections to the working committee are conducted in accordance with
our Election Rules and a Constitution for the CRF is under active discussion.
From time to time we communicate with the public through Press Releases on our activities and particularly our public fora. To ensure accountability we also produce regular Reports of our activities and programmes.
CRF Working Committee
Angela Cropper
Chantal Esdell
David Abdulah
Dennis Pantin
Frank Clarke
Kristy-Anne Maynard
Nikola Mitchell
Svenn Miki Grant
Sheilah Solomon
Robert Young
Who Can Join the CRF?
Anyone who supports the cause of Constitution Reform may join the Constitution
Reform Forum. Contact and Membership Fee information follows:
Membership Fees
Unemployed Persons/Students/Retirees $20
Employed Persons $50
Informal Institution/Group $100
Formal Institution/School $500
Contact Information
Telefax: 662-7239
Email: crftt@yahoo.com
The CRF Process
In summary, the CRF has been debating four questions:
1. What is a Constitution and why is it important?
2. What is the most efficient process for creating a constitution?
3. Why does the Trinidad & Tobago constitution require reform, and
through which process this ought to be realised?
4. What specific changes would make the most sense?
CRF’S PROPOSALS: TO THE PNM PARTY & GOVERNMENT, AND
TO OPPOSITION PARTIES AND CIVIC SOCIETY, ON CR PROCESS IN 2003
1) The CRF has consistently stated that it is against the traditional approach to constitutional reform, which approach involves the establishment by the Government of a Constitutional Commission that seeks the views of citizens and then, in its wisdom, writes a Report containing recommendations to be deliberated upon by the Parliament. In this process, the role of the citizenry is reduced to that of offering ideas through a consultative mechanism, which ideas may well be completely discarded by the Commission in favour of the positions of the Commissioners themselves. In this way, the Report is likely to reflect the outlook of the Commissioners, rather than that of the people. Further, given that the Commission’s Report has then to go to Cabinet and to the Parliament, the likely outcome will be that any changes will be those that the ruling party agrees with. Thus, even if the Commission was to properly reflect the citizens’ views in its Report, the ruling party (and this really means a few who are in the leadership of the party and government) can effectively stymie the positions of the majority of the citizenry.
2) It is for these reasons that the CRF has come out against the traditional process, since we believe that it is a flawed process and one that in effect lacks the very qualities of participatory democracy that we are seeking to become reality through constitutional reform. We have, however, up to this point not articulated an alternative process. We seek to do so now.
3) The essential element of the process that we are proposing is the creation of a Constitution Reform Secretariat. This Secretariat would have the responsibility for facilitating the process of reform. It is therefore a facilitator, as distinct from the traditional Commission which defines the reform.
4) A Civil Society Co-Coordinating Committee comprised of some 20-30 representatives of bona fide civil society organizations should supervise the Secretariat. The Coordinating Committee would merely guide the Secretariat and ensure that it fulfills its mandate to facilitate the process.
5) The mandate of the Secretariat would be to carry out the first two stages of the reform process. These stages are:
a) Public Education and Awareness campaign – what are the existing provisions of the constitution, what are some of the areas of contention, what are some of the proposals being made for reform and;
b) Obtaining the Citizens’ Views – going out to the people in their communities and through all the possible civil society organisations, from the formal to the small informal NGOs, and hearing their views.
c) Developing a synthesis of the views – this involves a summary of all the views collected in stage one, and the publication of this summary which would then be the basis of a second round of debate and discussion. Following this second round of debate, the Secretariat would then produce a document that would identify the major options for reform which options are to be put to the citizens directly for their decision by way of a Referendum.
6) The entire process should be given the approval of the parliament since both parliamentary parties need to be on board. Further, the Parliament should vote a special sum to be managed by the secretariat to enable the proper conduct of the process. In this way, the Secretariat and the civil Society Co-coordinating Committee would be seen as a creature of the parliament and not of the government.
CRF’S CURRENT CONCLUSIONS ON CR
Current Conclusions
In a debate, happening over the last two years, CRF participants have
arrived at consensus on several areas of governance that are considered
critical for change in T&T:
1. Party Finance Regulations to make transparent the system of funding
for political parties;
2. Representation of civic society organisations in a “Macco”
Senate;
3. Reform of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC);
4. Local Government reform.
1. Party Finance Regulations
Create a Regulatory Framework for political parties which
• Requires registration of parties;
• Sets limits on campaign financing;
• Requires TRANSPARENCY in reporting such financing;
• Requires ACCOUNTABILITY.
2. The “Macco” Senate
Restructure and expand the Senate as a national forum for participatory
planning for national betterment and the protection of our common resources.
3. EBC Reform
Create a permanent citizen oversight mechanism over the operations of
the Elections and Boundaries Commission, possibly under the restructured
Senate proposed above.
4. Local Government Reform
Free Local Government from party control. Strengthen Local Government
to promote participatory planning for regional betterment
Progress to date on efforts to encourage support for CRF proposals
on process:
- Meeting with His Excellency, President Arthur N. R. Robinson.
- Meeting with the People’s National Movement’s General Secretary;
- Planned meeting with the Attorney General and Opposition Parties;
Other Public Discussions/Fora
- Brunch/Meeting on Sunday 17th November, 2002 from 10am-1pm at the U.W.I. Senior Common Room, St. Augustine Circular Road;
“From Maximum Leadership To Maximum Participation: A Conference Of Citizens On The 40th Anniversary Of Independence” Wednesday 28th August, 2002;
- Public panel discussion on Proposals for Constitution
Reform by all Political Parties on Tuesday October 1st, 2002, at the
Conference Room of International Relations on the campus of The University
of the West Indies;
- Public Forum on 28th November, 2002;
- Republic Day Walk 2002 and Cultural Show from Savannah
to Woodford Square;
- Youth Forum on Constitution Reform on Wednesday 12th
February 2003;
- Public forum on the Controversy arising from the investigation
by the Prime Minister into whether the Chief Justice ought to be removed
from office – March 3, 2005;
