The Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee, appointed by the Executive Council in September, 2015, presented its Report to that body on Thursday 4th May, 2017. The Report comprises drafts of a proposed new Constitution, a new Elections Bill, and an Electoral Boundaries Commission Bill. Each draft is supported by an explanatory memorandum, which highlights the new proposals included in the drafts. The Report also contains the views of Mr. Thomas Astaphan QC, which are at variance with the majority views set out in the Report. It is expected that the Ministry of Home Affairs will make the Report accessible to interested members of the public.
The presentation of the Report is a culmination of a series of consultative engagements with members of the public and organisations, that responded to the Committee’s invitation to engage in the reform process. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the members of the public who attended the meetings held throughout the island and to the political parties that hosted meetings specifically to engage with the Committee. The written submissions of members of the public and members of the Anguilla Bar Association are also appreciated. The radio programmes, at which various radio personalities hosted members of the Committee, were also helpful in providing an avenue for members of the public to call and share their thoughts with Committee members. These contributions helped the Committee to formulate what it understood to be the views and desires of the majority of persons who participated in the reform exercise.
Members of the Committee were pleased to have been afforded the opportunity to play a role in the Constitutional and Electoral Reform exercise and look forward to the various recommendations contained in the Report being reflected in legislation in the not too distant future.
A great deal will depend on the extent to which members of the Anguilla public support the recommendations contained in the Report. All persons who have not yet examined the proposals for reform are urged to obtain their own copy, either on paper or digital, when these are circulated.
Constitutional & Electoral Reform Committee
9th May 2017
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper)
