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News about Constitution Making Elsewhere
- Maldives - almost has a new Constitution?
The President of Maldives, who has ruled for 30 years, has said that he will ratify the new Constitution adopted at the end of June 2008 by the Special Majlis (a Constituent Assembly). However he has yet to do so, and there has been some criticism from various quarters, including the European Union. There were demonstrations outside the presidential palace on July 21st to protest about the delay. If the Constitution is ratified, there should be presidential elections later this year.
- Bolivia in a crisis over its new Constitution
Bolivia in South America is in a crisis over its new Constitution. In December 2007 a draft Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly, but this was in the absence of opposition members. The confrontation is mainly between the indigenous peoples of the country and the other communities. There was some manipulation of the rules of the Constituent Assembly. The constitutional process seems to have increased tensions in the county rather than leading to a peaceful resolution of its difficulties. The International Crisis Group has urged Bolivians to work together, if necessary with international assistance, to resolve the crisis and reach a Constitution agreeable to all (see the ICG recent briefing paper: Bolivia: Rescuing the New Constitution and Democratic Stability. The situations of Bolivia and Nepal are in many ways very different. But the experience of that country does show how contentious constitutional negotiations can become.
- The Military Government of Myanmar reported that the people had voted overwhelmingly for the new Constitution
This was despite the fact that the election had to be in two stages, the second being delayed because of cyclone Nargis. Even in the cyclone-affected areas the government claims that there was a 93% turnout of voters, who approved the constitution by 92.93%
- The people of Myanmar are to vote on May 10th on a new Constitution
Unfortunately, the document itself is very seriously inadequate, with weak human rights provisions, a prominent role for the military, and giving very little scope for democracy. Furthermore, the referendum process itself seems far from fair. Many international organizations, and governments, have spoken against the document and the process, including Human Rights Watch, which describes is as "A Vote to Nowhere".
- Draft Constitution for Kosovo is released for consultation
On 4 March 2008, the Constitutional Commission of the Republic of Kosovo announced the completion of the public participation phase in the constitution drafting process, and has begun reviewing the public's comments on the Draft Constitution and will be editing the Draft to reflect accepted changes. More information on the Kosovo constitution, the constitution-drafting process, public events and notes from all public meetings is available at the Kosovo's Constitution website.
- Constitutional reform being discussed in Kenya
With mediation by Kofi Annan, parties in Kenya are discussing constitutional reform as a way to resolve the underlying problems that gave rise to the recent post-election violence. You can read the recent report by the International Crisis Group, Kenya in Crisis which gives background and recommendations. Also you can click here for material on the earlier, abortive, efforts to make a new constitution for Kenya.
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