No New Referendum Date
Constitutional Commission Chairman Sean McWeeney said he has not been given any indication of when the proposed referendum on gender equality might be held despite the committee being “just about finished” with its public education campaign and Family Island consultations.
According to Mr McWeeney, there is “next to nothing” remaining on the commission’s calendar, indicating that the group had “almost” finished its Family Island consultations, visiting every island with return visits scheduled for a few settlements.
“We have been to all the islands, we have completed all the necessary visits, there are a couple of places we plan to double back to, but we have done all the necessary stops,” he said.
“Originally we were met with some apprehension, there was some issues but after communicating with residents we got things cleared up and are moving forward in a positive direction.”
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Perry Christie had indicated he did not want to delay the vote any further and hoped to hold it by June.
In March, Mr McWeeney said a June referendum was “highly unlikely” as there had been no recent announcement from the government on the issue.
The repeated delays in the referendum have led many to question the government’s commitment to gender equality.
Long Island MP Loretta Butler-Turner has said that with every passing day, it becomes more uncertain if the referendum will ever take place.
Read the full Tribune story here.