Meaningful changes from our colonial past needed
GARY GRIFFITH
MANY HAVE stated that now is not a good time for the changing of the coat of arms: the great cost, the timing after nine years which is political, the arbitrary and undemocratic manner in which the change is being proposed – another example of democratic dictatorship – and finally the fact that the change, which allegedly came about from the constitutional discussions, has no meaningful impact on improving the lives of citizens. This should be the priority, not symbolic cosmetic changes that have no positive impact.
What is needed instead are major amendments that can be approved overnight, that would indeed have a positive effect, which would both move us away from our colonial shackles but also improve the standard of living for citizens.
Following are colonial-type laws and policies that infringe on our rights and that should be priority for amendment:
1. The right to bear arms: Removal of the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual, the commissioner of police, to decide who can bear arms, undermining citizens’ ability to protect themselves. This is especially critical because the Government has failed in its duty to protect citizens.
2. Removal of outdated loitering laws used to suppress free assembly, as seen just a few months ago when two young men were arrested for such.
3. Removal of the requirement for police approval to hold protests, which is really a colonial holdover designed to restrict freedom of expression.
4. Citizens being arrested for refusing to assist the police: Removal of the antiquated law which mandates citizens to assist officers in the arresting of others, and if not you can be arrested. We saw this law used recently when a maxi taxi driver was arrested for this very same “crime.”
5. Removal of the ability of law enforcement to arbitrarily intercept communications without due process: At present any citizen can have their right to confidentiality infringed upon without due process, reason, just cause or red flags, inclusive of interception of communication on your phones based on a commissioner of police just deciding to, possibly because of instructions from politicians who appointed them. Or the same could occur with the FIU, where we have seen them going into the bank accounts of citizens without just cause.
6. Removal of laws that allow the police to conduct searches of individuals’ vehicles without reasonable suspicion: If it is illegal for the police to arbitrarily conduct searches and seizures of a person’s private property at their homes, it should also be applicable to private vehicles.
7. Removal of the law regarding insulting or annoying language: This law can see someone imprisoned up to 30 days for simply using insulting, annoying, or violent language that may provoke another person to breach the peace or cause annoyance in public.
This colonial-era law should be revised to align with modern standards of freedom of speech while balancing public order and decency, because its roots are firmly planted in the belief that the populace cannot speak out even if their rights are being violated by a police officer.
8. Implementation of two-term limits for the prime minister, as even recommended by the Constitutional Reform Committee, because the present condition is another colonial holdover designed for undemocratic rule and decades of long-standing control and suppression of the masses.
These actions can be done with the stroke of a pen, cost little to nothing, and have a real positive impact. In other words, it is a win-win-win scenario. Failure to implement these changes reveals a nefarious political agenda, which contains all the elements of colonial, undemocratic leadership, control and suppression of the masses.
If the Prime Minister really had genuine care and concern about removing us from the shackles of our colonial past and history, these are the things he would do.
But he would not as he prefers the cosmetic approach of removing three ships on our coat of arms, ignoring the actual delivery of service to benefit and lift the standard of living of citizens.
Our country needs a government that would protect the basic rights of freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and freedom from not being politically targeted and persecuted by rogue elements in law enforcement.
These are the things the incoming government must put focus on as changing three ships to a steelpan is not going to provide that delivery and improve the standard of living of citizens.
Gary Griffith is the political leader of the NTA
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