Draft
for new T&T constitution handed in
By
Cordielle
Street
Trinidad
Guardian
Port
Spain
Petroleumworld.com
08 14 06
The
powers of prime minister and president may soon
be placed into the hands of one national leader.
However,
this “executive president” may find
himself at the mercy of a new “political beast”—a
bi-cameral legislature, says a political analyst.
The
post of executive president is but one of the recommendations
of former President, Sir Ellis Clarke, and the architects
of the draft constitution handed over to Prime Minister
Patrick Manning yesterday at Whitehall, Port-of-Spain.
Clarke,
who recently criticised the PM for his over-reaching
power, said this new post would correct the “great
power” currently being wielded by Manning.
“I
was pointing out that there is some measure of apprehension
about an executive president, because the general
feeling in the country is that the Prime Minister
has too much power,” Clarke said during a
brief news briefing at Whitehall yesterday.
“An
executive president has no more power than that
which is assigned to him and is subject to whatever
restriction you impose upon him,” he said.
Clarke
explained that by appointing an executive President
there is the opportunity to limit, not increase,
power held by the office.
“You
do not simply give him a totality of the powers
possessed by the President of the moment and the
prime minister; no, you give him powers such as
you think fit and then you impose restrictions such
as you see fit,” he said.
Under
this new political structure, the House of Representatives
as it exists will be maintained, while appointments
by the executive President must be approved by Cabinet.
The
executive president will then work with a bi-cameral
legislature.
However,
Clarke said he disagrees with the idea upheld by
the framers of the draft constitution that separate
elections be held for the national leader and the
bi-cameral body.
“With
the greatest of respect to what they have decided,
I would not feel—at least in the form in which
it has been proposed—that it is the best thing
at this time,” Clarke said.
Political
scientist Professor John La Guerre said the new
system may only transfer a dictatorship from one
person to that of a group.
“As
it stands, the prime minister dominates the Cabinet,
as well as the legislature; under the new system,
the legislature will dominate,” said La Guerre.
He
explained that whatever party dominates the legislature
will in turn have control over the executive President.
And
if separate elections occur and “it all comes
down to party politics,” the country may be
left with opposing parties retaining control of
either office.
“A
lot will depend on how the bi-cameral body is set
up,” said La Guerre.
“The
rationale for separate elections is the...hope that
separate visions would be brought to bare...in party
politics it does not work that way, it will come
down to party rivalry,” he added.
Clarke
said he expects the PM to present the draft constitution
to Cabinet in the near future.
Trinidad Guardian
Tuesday 1st August, 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Guardian. All Rights Reserved.
