Current Prime Minister Patrick Manning. - file
PORT-OF-SPAIN (CMC):
Former President and one of the framers of the Trinidad and Tobago Con-stitution, Sir Ellis Clarke, said too much power had been placed into the hands of every prime minister since the oil-rich republic attained independence in 1962.
"We have a one-man dictator-ship. We have the Prime Minister, who dominates the Cabinet," he said in an address to the Citizens' Ideas Market at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, on Sunday.
Sir Ellis, the island's first President, recalled that prior to Trinidad and Tobago's indepen-dence in 1962, power could not be vested in the Governor-General except by acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.
He said that the present con-stitution allows for a prime minister who dominates Cabinet and gover-nment to dominate Parliament.
"Whatever numero uno says goes. I am saying we must correct that," he said.
Sir Ellis, who has been asked by the Patrick Manning Government to draft a new Trinidad and Tobago Constitution, said it was crucial to right some of the defects in the original constitution and suggested an overhaul of some of the executive powers.
"I would like to change first of all the presidency, secondly the Senate. My view of the presidency is that you should have someone who exercises the powers of the Prime Minister and the President, but with restraining limits to ensure his accountability to the elected representatives of the people."
No
change soon
Regarding constitutional reform, the former President said, "Let's be frank, there's not going to be any constitutional change in my lifetime, because you need a three-quarters majority."
He said when one examines the current "polarisation we have in the country", it seems unlikely that any of the parties would attain a three-quarters majority, by winning 31 out of the 41 seats in the new Parliament.
Sir Ellis also indicated that another possible change would be in the appointment of a chief justice, saying any appointment to that post should be done by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, rather than at present where only the views of the Prime Minister is given to the President.
