‘Govt failing to educate masses on Constitution, Republic’

Government has missed a golden opportunity to educate the public on what the current Constitution of Barbados actually looks like as the island transitions to a republic, Independent Senator Julian Hunte has insisted.

He told the Senate on Wednesday as the Upper House moved to ratify changes to the Constitution made by the House of Assembly that unlike previous campaigns to educate the wider public on an important issue, the republic discourse has so far been filled with conflicting views from both sides of the spectrum with no meaningful educational platform having being implemented.

“When the Government decided to address the issue of petroleum-based single-use plastic bags, there was a good campaign that was ran,” said Senator Hunte. “The average person can tell you a lot about petroleum-based single-use plastic bags, why they are not good for the environment… that same person cannot tell you as much about the Constitution. About what is important about us becoming a republic, and becoming a republic with the right frame of mind.”

Senator Hunte said he understood the importance of Barbados completing the transition from being not just an independent state, but a republic. But he questioned the Government’s rationale for pushing for republican status by November 30 while leaving important changes to the new constitution to discussions in December.

In responding to some social commentators who expressed their opinions that the move’s only change would be on paper, Senator Hunte stressed that words and their context mattered greatly, in particular as they affect citizens from all walks of life.

Senator Hunte declared: “This is about more than a change of words – words are important, words matter, words matter [because] they may reflect reality, but they also have the power to change reality. This is a moment in which Barbadians should be excited and involved… I think that is an opportunity lost.

“My concerns as we take a step into the Republic of Barbados, unlike the United States of America, there was no war of independence which served as a major catalyst for what we are doing, but that does not mean that they are not wars going on for the average Barbadian. They are wars going on out there, and I hope that in republic Barbados, that we can do something to adequately address the causes of these wars.”

The independent senator cited court battles between fathers and mothers where fathers are often denied access to their children with no reasonable cause given, as well as constant fights from trade unions to be recognized as accredited bargain agents for workers among issues he hopes will be ironed out clearly in the proposed constitution. (SB)