A group of former representatives of the People’s Constitution Commission (PCC) met with Prime Minister John Briceño earlier this week to express serious concerns about the PCC’s final report, submitted to the government in May 2025.
The group includes former delegates from civil society organisations such as the National Women’s Commission, Maya organisations, LGBTQI+ advocates, student and youth alliances, the University of Belize, the National Garifuna Council, and major unions like the BNTU and PSU.
They outlined several issues with the report, including that it did not follow the decision-making process mandated by the PCC Act, lacked a sound methodology for reviewing the Constitution, and failed to sufficiently reflect public opinion. In response, the group proposed a number of steps, including appending a disclaimer to the report stating that it does not represent the views of all commission members, extending the timeframe for organisations to provide feedback until October, and seeking expert input from regional or international bodies such as the Commonwealth Secretariat. They also recommended a public review period of at least three months once the report is laid before the National Assembly and called for clear, politically neutral referendum questions.
The group said the meeting with the prime minister was productive and that he acknowledged their concerns as valid. He invited them to submit a consolidated set of recommendations and committed to keeping them involved as the government continues reviewing the report.