by Linda Straker
- Citizens for Constitution Reform (CCR) convened by Dr Francis Alexis
- Allegiance should be to land of our birth, our citizenship in which we are domiciled — Grenada
- Draft legislation submitted to Government and Opposition for assessment and consideration
Educating and reforming Grenada’s constitution step by step is the main objective of a new non-governmental organisation (NGO) which has been approved by the Attorney General’s chamber to legally register with the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO).
Citizens for Constitution Reform (CCR) is convened by Dr Francis Alexis, a former attorney general and government minister. The founding directors are Ruggles Ferguson, Lady Anande Trotman-Joseph, Jerry Edwin, Ewart Layne and Dr Wendy Grenade.
The first goal the group is hoping to achieve is changing Grenada’s “Oath of Allegiance” from swearing to the King of England to the State of Grenada. “There should no longer be allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III, his heirs and successors, but instead to the land of our birth, our citizenship in which we are domiciled — Grenada,” said Dr Alexis who chaired a constitution reform committee for the 2016 and 2018 referendum voting.
None of the 7 bills in 2016 constitution referendum and single bill for the 2018 exercise received the required two-third majority of the voters. Dr Alexis is arguing that changing the Oath of Allegiance does not require a referendum vote of the people, but an act approved by both Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.
Currently, the Oath Act requires all who have to take the Oath of Allegiance to swear that he or she will faithfully bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law. These include the Governor-General, the Prime Minister, Cabinet Members and Members of Parliament in both the Lower and Upper Houses.
Defending his proposal, Dr Alexis said, “It is quite normal for a Caribbean independent state to alter the constitution to change allegiance from the UK monarch to such a Caribbean state, while the constitution continues to vest in the UK Monarch the executive authority of the state.”
“The constitution caters for allegiance being given to the state while the executive authority of the state is vested in the UK Monarch,” he said, explaining that the constitution as written gives referendum-entrenchment status to the provision vesting the executive authority of the state in the UK Monarch.
Ferguson supports Dr Alexis’ view, and believes that after 50 years of independence, Grenada’s constitution is overdue for a change. “We have had many changes since 1974, but not one amendment has been able to creep into the constitution to reflect any of those changes,” he said. “From independence to this period, we have experienced many changes: political changes, economic changes, social changes, and the debate will always go on as to whether we have achieved enough or whether we are truly independent, notwithstanding those changes.” Ferguson served as a member of the 2016 and 2018 constitution reform committees.
“The constitution is a living breathing document that is supposed to reflect the evolution of society, evolving changes as they take place in our society,” added lady Joseph who was instrumental in educating and developing Guyana’s revised constitution.
The members of the group have already developed a draft legislation and have submitted it to the government and the main opposition party for their assessment and consideration.
