Constitution Reform talks Saturday

The  League of Concerned Citizens will hold a public forum on Constitutional Reform for Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday at the Fifth Company Primary Baptist School, at Fifth Company Village, Moruga Road, starting at 9 am. According to the group, it is for historical reasons that the Fifth Company Village was chosen as the venue for the public forum since it was responsible for the appointment of the First Royal Commission on Constitution Reform for TT in 1887, by Queen Victoria.

The appointment of this first Commission resulted from a petition that was sent to Queen Victoria in 1886 by Rev Robert Andrews, the village pastor, complaining about the neglect of the ‘‘company villages’’ by the Colonial Administrator. In the petition, Rev Andrews asked the Queen that he be granted the authority to manage the affairs of the village. In responding to the petition, Queen Victoria gave instructions to the governor of the colony to appoint a Constitution Commission to look into the question of Constitution Reform for Trinidad. At the time, the Legislative Council of the colony comprised only nominated members.

As a result, the League of Concerned Citizens felt that the role of Fifth Company Village, 116 years ago, must be highlighted in an appropriate manner. Theme of Saturday’s discussions will be ‘‘whether Constitution Reform be based on the existing Republican Constitution ‘Westminster Model’ with ‘absolute power’ to a Prime Minister, or a Constitution that is truly Republican that places ‘power’ in the hands of the people where it truly belongs in a Republican Constitution.’’