AFC still confident of Constitutional Reform before end of first term

AFC's Chairman and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan said there are "good reasons" why there seems to be slow progress in this area, pointing to the fact there are other parliamentary matters before the coalition.

AFC still confident of Constitutional Reform before end of first term

With just two years remaining before the next general elections, one of the partners in the coalition government, the Alliance for Change is hopeful that it will make good on its promises to complete Constitutional reform.

But that success will also depend on the support of the other five parties in the APNU+AFC government and the opposition People’s Progressive Party.

Today marks exactly three years since the 2015 elections which resulted in the coalition’s victory.

Officials of the AFC believe there is much to celebrate and the party remains optimistic of the prospects of completing constitutional reform within this term in office.

AFC’s Chairman and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan said there are “good reasons” why there seems to be slow progress in this area, pointing to the fact there are other parliamentary matters before the coalition.

He now calls on the parliamentary opposition to support the Constitution Reform Consultative Bill which is currently before the National Assembly so that the actual process of consultation can be fast-tracked.

He was backed up by AFC Executive Member and Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson.

Mr. Patterson said Constitutional reform is one of the priority issues in the ongoing discussions between the AFC and APNU.

He is hopeful too that the two parties, with the support of the opposition, will be able to complete Constitutional reform before the 2020 general elections.

Already, a Constitutional reform committee has been established and a report compiled, which prescribes several areas to be addressed in the process of Constitutional reform.

The AFC insisted Friday that Constitutional Reform is still a government priority.

Addressing the coalition’s accomplishments over the last three years, AFC Vice Chair, Cathy Hughes, who serves as Minister of Public Telecommunications, pointed to the increase in the minimum wage, increases in old age pension, improvements in private sector wages, holding of local government elections and ongoing progress in several other areas including the reduction in Value Added Tax.

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