Transparency, public participation critical to constitutional reform
Published:Monday | May 8, 2023 | 12:15 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
We at the Advocates Network are concerned that in spite of calls by ourselves, the Jamaica Council of Churches, National Integrity Action, Institute of Law & Economics and Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal for transparency, public education and widespread participation in the process of developing a new Constitution for Jamaica, there has been little evidence of improvement in the approach by the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) selected to lead the process.
Meetings of the CRC continue to be held in secret behind closed doors and where ‘consultation’ meetings are held, there is little or no notice to encourage widespread participation.
As we previously indicated, the Government of Jamaica must excite our people to debate and discuss the various elements of our inherited system of governance and options for creating better governance, with more opportunities for citizen participation. The process must include:
- Open meetings of the CRC to the public and the press;
- The terms of reference of the CRC, and the complete minutes of all CRC meetings must be shared with the public;
- A schedule with dates of all planned public engagements and consultations across Jamaica, using various media and communication strategies;
- Weekly updates via a bulletin regarding the progress of the CRC, including the proposals received and considered by the CRC; and
- The timetable and budget of the CRC should be made public.
ROBERT STEPHENS
Co-Chairman
Advocates Network