Lewis Urges Full Implementation of Constitution to Ensure Citizen Participation

Lincoln Lewis, veteran trade unionist and General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), has criticised Guyana’s political leadership for failing to implement constitutional provisions that guarantee inclusive governance and citizen participation.

In a recent opinion piece, Lewis argued that the Guyana Constitution itself is not the problem, but rather a lack of political will, coupled with what he described as “visionless leadership” and a willingness to compromise the rule of law for convenience and political expediency. He said this failure has prevented large sections of society from participating meaningfully in national development.

Lewis highlighted Article 13 of the Constitution, which he described as central to Guyana’s political framework. The article states:

“The principal objective of the system of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being.”

He noted that Article 13 was assented to more than 25 years ago under President Bharrat Jagdeo after efforts led by former President and then Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte, and that it embodies Guyana’s history, sacrifices, and aspirations for shared governance.

Despite its existence, Lewis said no comprehensive legislation has been enacted to give Article 13 effect, power has not been meaningfully devolved to regional and local governments, and inclusion remains largely rhetorical. “No legislator can point to meaningful work done to implement Article 13,” he wrote, adding that where the government fails, the opposition must provide leadership.

Lewis also stressed that the Constitution is grounded in international norms, including United Nations declarations and International Labour Organisation conventions, guaranteeing basic rights, equality, participation, and dignity. He said Guyana’s social, economic, and political failures are not caused by the Constitution but by the refusal to implement it.

He urged the trade union movement to confront its responsibilities, emphasising that trade unions historically advocated for accountability, equality, and justice. “Trade unionists must set the example, holding all to the same standards, bar none, and refusing to excuse illegality, even when politically convenient,” Lewis wrote.

According to Lewis, decades of calls by the GTUC and others for inclusive national approaches to prepare Guyanese for productive engagement in oil and non-oil sectors have been ignored, leaving the nation facing what he described as a crisis of governance. He criticised leaders who “confuse development with domination, marginalise rather than include, discriminate rather than unite, and treat state resources as handouts for family, friends, and political cohorts.”

Lewis concluded that the path forward is not rewriting the Constitution, but implementing it fully. “The Constitution is not our problem. Our unwillingness to honour it is,” he wrote.