Nassau, The Bahamas - After taking into account the conservative
nature of Bahamians in the face of change, the Constitutional Commission
requested that Parliament honour their request for a deadline extension regarding
the Commission's report, which must be provided for Bahamians to consume and
fully comprehend before the referendum is delivered to them publicly for a
national decision. PM Christie puts Bahamians first by allowing the
country more time to understand what they are voting to change for their
benefit.
"I am pleased to advise this Honourable
House that I have acceded to the request of Constitutional Commission,"
said Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry Christie. He said further that the
deadline for the Commission's report has been extended to June
30, 2013 and that the Constitutional referendum
planned for this 40th Anniversary of Independence, has been provisionally
re-scheduled for late November, 2013.
"These extensions will both encourage and
facilitate the widest possible dialogue - and public education - on
constitutional reform well in advance of any voting in a referendum. It
should be noted, Mr. Speaker, that this weekend past, the Commission launched
its own hall-style public consultations with four separate meetings in Grand
Bahama. These consultations will extend throughout the Family Islands and
New Providence in the coming months. Concurrently with that, the
Commission will be continuing to interview persons representing a broad
cross-section of interests in our country."
The Prime Minister said it should be noted
that the Commission's website is now fully operational and that as a result,
members of the public can communicate directly with the Commission by email, in
addition to being able to access copies of the Constitution and a wide range of
relevant constitutional materials that have been uploaded to the Commission's
website.
"I am pleased to further advise that the
public can also communicate with the Commission at its office in the Fort
Nassau Centre, which is in the British Colonial Hilton's commercial complex, or
by calling the Commission's office at
356-7050or
356-7051;
or by writing the Commission at P.O. Box N-7050," said PM Christie.
"Finally, Mr. Speaker, allow me to take
this opportunity to publicly recognise the great work that has been performed
to date by the Constitutional Commission, all of whose members, are giving
generously of their time without any remuneration. They are nonetheless
doing so gladly, at great personal sacrifice, in a spirit of patriotic
volunteerism that is worthy of emulation."
PM Christie said that this is an extremely
important undertaking, one that is vital to the orderly growth and development
of our constitutional democracy, and the rights and freedoms we hold so dear.
he also said that he would go further and suggest that the process of
constitutional reform is vital to the growth and development of our
civilisation as a sovereign people.
"I take great heart and encouragement
from the excellent work that has been done already, and I have every confidence
- as I am sure all honourable members do - that we are definitely on the right
track with the process of constitutional reform that is now vigorously
underway," said Mr. Christie.
Prior to the announcement of the extension, the
Prime Minister read the letter Chairman Mc Sweeney wrote to request the
extension that would benefit the Bahamian people with the constitutional
education they deserve to understand.
