Term limits for politicians, fixed election dates coming soon: PM Kamla

The People's Partnership government will soon introduce bills in Parliament to amend the constitution in keeping with promises it made during the 2010 general election campaign.

Four critical changes will be coming:

• A 2-term limit for prime ministers
• Fixed dates for general elections
• A mechanism to recall Parliamentarians for non-performance
• A process to hold referenda on matters of national importance

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Colin Partap told the Newsday newspaper the Office of the Attorney General is currently drafting the bills which will be tabled after next week's budget.

He said the government has the required two thirds majority to pass these bills even if the opposition refuses to support them.

Partap said the bills will come after consultations to determine the best ways to deal with the four issues. He said the government also plans to establish a Constitution Commission.

“Immediately after the Budget is passed we have a short-term plan involving those bills and a long-term plan...Four bills to amend the Constitution will be tabled in Parliament, the commission will be set up,” the son of former cabinet minister Harry Partap told Newsday.

He explained that there will be a short period of consultation on the four bills to try to figure the best ways for them to work.

Partap said once the bills are tabled there will be an 18-month period during which the Constitutional commission will examine "a more comprehensive range of reform" of the 1976 Republican Constitution.

The reforms could address several issues that have been a part of the national conversation for a while including an executive president, a unicameral Parliament with wider representation, an elected Senate and reforms to guarantee greater transparency and more effective governance.