A senior university lecturer in political science has warned that there are attempts to muzzle the voices of those who expose concerns about Barbados’ intended transition to a republican form of government.
Speaking during an online forum on the issue at the weekend, Cynthia Barrow-Giles cautioned that such an approach could place the country on the road to a dictatorship.
However, she was at pains to point out she was not blaming politicians but referred to some political pundits and commentators.
While presenting three forms of republican government for consideration, Barrow-Giles also contended that citizens had a constitutional right to oppose republicanism altogether.
“People have a right to ask a question and they have a right to information. Those people who have been given the power have a right to explain to you what the position is. When people say we should not ask questions, when people say that we should not expose some problems that we see, it is really taking us on what I think is a very slippery slope. It is a very dangerous place to be…because, to me, when people try to silence you it is really akin to a dictatorship,” she declared.
The political scientist added: “It is really akin to saying that what we should have in this country is a dictatorship, which I think that all politicians maybe at heart they want but have not indicated that is what they desire.”
Turning specifically to the three forms of republican government, the senior lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus cited the French version of power-sharing between the prime minister and president; the United States of America where the Congress is the most powerful and the president does not sit in the legislature; and the parliamentary form where the prime minister wields the political power and the president is a figure head.
“There is nothing to say we have to accept any of those models. We can in fact experiment and come for a hybrid sort of model,” she said, adding that when all is said and done, there is nothing to fear with the change to republicanism.
Meantime, law lecturer Dr Ronnie Yearwood was adamant that being the supreme law of the land, the constitution was framed in such a way as to outlaw any tinkering.
“So, if the Government is amending…the constitution to include an electoral college as we have heard is the way towards selecting the president, it would also have to understand that there would need to be provisions to set out how the presidential candidate is nominated,” he said.
He also reminded that there would have to be a qualified majority in Parliament to make that amendment.
“The constitution states that no act of Parliament shall be construed as altering the constitution unless it is stated in the act that it is an act for altering the constitution.
“So, what does that mean? It means that amending the constitution cannot happen by accident or implication. That’s our point. It has to be purposeful, it has to be clear, it has to be intentional because the whole point is we all must be aware of what the law being passed to amend the constitution contains. So, you would see why the framers would say that because you can’t sneak and amend the constitution,” Yearwood added.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)
