Guyana's constitutional reform process: what happens when you submit a proposal
Public submissions enter a review and parliamentary process; sending a proposal does not itself change the Constitution.
GEORGETOWN — Guyanese have until December 31, 2026, to submit proposals to the Constitution Reform Commission as part of the country's ongoing constitutional reform process.
Submitting a proposal does not itself change the Constitution. Instead, it gives individuals, communities and organisations an opportunity to place recommendations before the commission for consideration.
Under the Constitution Reform Commission Act 2022, the commission is tasked with receiving, considering and evaluating submissions for changes to the Constitution and reporting its recommendations to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Constitutional Reform for transmission to the National Assembly.
The commission's public notice identifies areas including fundamental rights, elections, the judiciary, public finances and local government among the subjects that may be considered. The themes are intended to guide submissions rather than restrict contributors to those issues.
The process gives members of the public an opportunity to raise constitutional concerns and propose reforms, but submitting an idea does not mean it will ultimately be recommended or adopted.
Public participation has so far emerged as a challenge. On September 11, the Department of Public Information reported Attorney General Anil Nandlall as saying the commission had received six written submissions and was considering additional ways to encourage wider participation.
The commission had earlier appealed for submissions from individuals, groups, communities, organisations and institutions as part of its public consultation exercise.
Written proposals can be sent to gycrc2024@gmail.com. According to the commission's notice, contributors may also be invited to participate in face-to-face discussions where further engagement on their proposals is considered necessary.
Any recommendations emerging from the consultation would still have to move through the constitutional and parliamentary processes required for reform.
