GHRA Demands Resignations as Singh Defends CRC’s Stagnation

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has called for the resignation of Chairman Carl Singh and all members of the Constitutional Reform Commission (CRC), stating it should be done “as a matter of principle.” The call follows Singh’s commentary in the Stabroek News on September 21, in which he defended the CRC’s lack of progress over the past three years by citing factors ranging from Venezuela’s border aggression to logistical challenges and deficiencies in member selection.

The GHRA expressed concern that the legislation establishing the CRC is “badly written,” as it explicitly names the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) as holding 50% of the Commission’s seats.

However, with We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)—whose major party is the PNCR—now forming the incoming Opposition, the GHRA argues that the political landscape has fundamentally changed, and both the PPP and PNCR must adapt to this new reality.

The organisation also noted that former Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Nigel Hughes has already resigned from the CRC, having previously represented the APNU+AFC coalition. Hughes also stepped down as Leader of the AFC.

The GHRA sharply criticised the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Parliament, and the CRC for failing to honour constitutional provisions designed to ensure continuous reform—specifically the requirement to establish a Standing Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Reform, as mandated by Constitutional Amendment No. 6 of 2001, specifically Article 119A

“(1) The National Assembly shall establish a Standing Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Reform for the purpose of continually reviewing the effectiveness of the working of the Constitution and making periodic reports thereon to the Assembly, with proposals for reform, as necessary.

“(2)  In its work the Committee shall have power to co-opt experts or enlist the aid of other persons of appropriate expertise, whether or not such experts or other persons are members of the Assembly.”

Further, the GHRA emphasised that WIN’s rise has shifted the “political calculus” and that all parties must now operate within the bounds of existing law. In the 13th Parliament, WIN holds 16 seats, APNU 12, and FGM one. The GHRA contends that the most urgent and appropriate response is for Parliament to establish the Standing Committee—providing the institutional framework necessary to meaningfully advance constitutional reform.