The Constitution Review Committee (CRC) has announced that the holding a national referendum, previously slated for 2014, has now been moved to August 2015.
Disclosing this at an-all women consultative forum organized by the CRC in Monrovia on Tuesday, Cllr. Gloria Scott, chair of the CRC, stated that her committee recently received a letter dated March 8, 2013, from the Office of the President in which the committee was informed that its request to extend the date of the referendum from 2014 to 2015 had been approved by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Disclosing this at an-all women consultative forum organized by the CRC in Monrovia on Tuesday, Cllr. Gloria Scott, chair of the CRC, stated that her committee recently received a letter dated March 8, 2013, from the Office of the President in which the committee was informed that its request to extend the date of the referendum from 2014 to 2015 had been approved by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
With this extension, the committee now has a comprehensive work plan and time-frame within which to complete its works: the resourcing of the CRC from January to April 2013; civil education/public consultation from March to August 2013; drafting amendments from July to December 2013; national conference slated for November 2013; presentation of draft amendments and recommendations slated for December 2013; enactment of amendments and civic/public education slated for January to August 2014; publication of the official gazette slated for August 2014; civic/public education on the propositions of the approved amendments included in the official gazette expected to run from August 2014 to August 2015; and then the national referendum slated for August 2015. Report and wrap-up activities will follow through in August 2015 and will run to December 2015.
The extension of the CRC’s mandate by the President has been wholeheartedly welcomed by the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). SRSG Karin Landgren believes this will create greater possibilities for a review process that is comprehensive, inclusive and participatory.
According to her, unlike the 1986 Constitution, this time each provision to be changed will be put to a referendum.
She agreed that the time is right for a constitutional review in Liberia because electoral reform, land reforms, the decentralization of governance and administrative processes are fundamental reasons to alter Liberia’s system of governance for the better. She believes these issues have got lots more to do with Liberia’s many problems because, according to her, the 1986 constitution no longer serves the public good.
“Liberia continues to build its post-war peace and its national identity. The constitution review process inevitably has a role in Liberia’s national reconciliation and long-term stability,” she added.
The Political Parties Consultative Forum has also welcomed the extension of the referendum; saying the time was too short for the exercise. The parties also expressed satisfaction that the extension meant their concerns had been taken into consideration and addressed. And for this, they pledged to remain engaged and would make sure that their role in this review process is felt.
The CRC is mandated to review the 1986 Constitution and pursuant thereto make recommendations for the amendment of the Constitution. In the main time, the CRC has pledged its commitment to working to ensure that the referendum is achieved by all means before the last quarter of 2015.
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