Panday renews call for constitutional reform, elected executive president

Basdeo Panday told an audience at the the University of West Indies Thursday there is an urgent need for constitutional reform in Trinidad & Toabgo. And he also said there is a need for officers of the United National Congress (UNC) to be removed from the governing process.

Panday spoke at the second in the four-part series; "Conversations with Prime Ministers" at the Daaga Hall auditorium of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.

"The process by which we approach to reform the constitution is the key to successful constitutional reform," the former Prime Minister said.

"We cannot begin by engaging a group of lawyers to sit down around a table to produce a draft in legal language which is then put before the ordinary people for comment. 

"The constitution must be so designed to solve the problems of the society and promote its growth and the happiness of our people, then the exercise in constitutional reform must begin with identifying the problems that the people face from day to day," Panday explained.

Panday also reiterated his preference for an executive president to be elected on the basis of one person, one vote and suggested that there be a single elected chamber in the national Parliament.

Such a system, he said would give representation to a wider cross section of the population, which in turn would deepen and expand democracy.

"Such an expanded Parliament will also enable the establishment of several powerful house committees that can monitor more closely the activities of the government as in the United States where they act as checks and balances on the actions of the government. The present system does not permit this, that is and has been, a serious failing in the present constitution," said Panday.

He also said the present government should speak less and act more.

Panday also spoke about the internal election of the UNC, which he led until he was defeated two years ago by Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Panday is supporting a team called Generation next in the party's internal election on march 24.

He said the UNC needs to be "extricated from the Government" to allow for greater accountability.

"What they (Generation next) want to do is separate the Government from the party so that the party will be in a position to tell the Government what is right and what is wrong." Panday stated.

"How can you do that now when the general secretary of the party is employed in the office of the Prime Minister? Panday asked. He said no government ministers except the prime minister should be an officer of the party.

"At the present moment most of the ministers are also members of the executive of the party...(so) the party cannot have an independent view and be at arms width so they could speak to the government.The party cannot speak for the government because the government is the party," said Panday.