Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Constitution of SISCAD - Sovereign Independent State of The Caribbean Diaspora
Constitution of SISCAD - Sovereign Independent State of The Caribbean Diaspora
SISCAD –
the Sovereign Independent
State of the Caribbean
Diaspora
Contents
Introduction
Preamble
Part 5 - Amendment
Article 20 - Amendment
Introduction
The Sovereign Independent State of the Caribbean Diaspora (SISCAD)
is a state without borders that is comprised of the sovereign peoples of
the Caribbean and the Caribbean diaspora the world over, each
individual being sovereign in his or her own right; recognizing no Crown,
Country, Government, Parliament, Party, Common Goal or Common
Good as being sovereign more than one's self and the best interests of
one's self.
The state takes its sovereignty from the collective sovereignty of the
people that comprise it and from their political will to be governed under
this Constitution that assures and protects their rights and demands their
responsibility to respect and protect others' rights to their life, liberty,
persons and property, and to participate in the affairs and maintenance
of the state through wilfully contributing to voluntary 4% income tax,
exercising their right to vote and run for office, participating in referenda
and holding their government accountable.
SISCAD was inspired by the creation of the federation of British West
Indies as provided for by the British Caribbean Federation Act of
1956 and the West Indies (Federation) Order in Council of 1957, the
creation of CARICOM as provided for by the Treaty of Chaguaramas
Establishing the Caribbean Community including the CARICOM Single
Market and Economy of 1973, and the creation of the State of the
African Diaspora (SOAD) as provided for by the Constitution of the State
of the African Diaspora (2018), the By-Laws of the Parliament of the
State of the African Diaspora, the SOAD Electoral Code, the SOAD Law
on Citizenship and Nationality, the SOAD Law on Restitution, or Rather
Reconquest, and the SOAD Law on Culture, Ethnocide and Sovereignty.
These documents, which are to be found in the Schedule/Appendix,
create the framework and the dream of a possibility for a unified
Caribbean; a dream that is yet to be realized, but is an absolute
necessity for the peoples of the Caribbean to progress and thrive. The
book The Caribbean Unification Project: Using Our Collective Strength
to Overcome Our Individual Weaknesses by Bentley Walker (2021)
provided the motivation and impetus, however, to materialize the unified
state for the sake of our economic, social and collective individual
benefit and development. The Caribbean Unification Project (2021)
brought to light the damage done to our people through colonization, an
effect which continues to ripple throughout history to present day,
resulting in our dividedness, stagnation and failure to materialize
economic growth and to significantly reduce crime and poverty.
The United Independents' Congress (UIC) Jamaica, its policies and
governance structure as articulated by its founder, Joseph L Patterson,
in the Constitution of the United Independents' Congress of Jamaica and
the Manifesto of the United Independents' Congress of Jamaica, which
can both be found in the Schedule/Appendix, and also through many
video recordings on the UIC Liberty TV YouTube channel, all provide the
framework by which we can overcome the damage of colonialism foisted
on our ancestors and present day peoples, and progress in liberty, unity
and prosperity, and charter a future of possibility, opportunity,
accountability, order and justice for generations to come.
Preamble
Being knowledgeable of the fact that the poverty afflicting the countries
and peoples of the Caribbean is caused by and is proportional to the
predatory reaping of the resources of the region for the benefit of
external countries and powers with no comparable benefit for the
peoples of the region, in addition to predatory economic practices where
these external countries buy our raw materials at a cheap price only to
resell the manufactured products from our raw materials to us at
exorbitant prices in their currency which we have to buy from them, in
addition to the practice of Caribbean governments overinflating
currencies in order to attract foreign investments and increase their own
earnings while driving up the cost of living for Caribbean peoples,
Being cognizant that crime and other social ills stem from the poverty
caused by these and other unfavourable economic practices in addition
to unchecked political corruption and public wastefulness and
mismanagement, as well as religious systems that teach us separation
of self from the other and self from nature instead of the unity that was
apparent in our original Afrocentric and Indocentric societies before
conquest and colonialism, in addition to a mostly Eurocentric education
system that teaches our students to obey rather than to critique and
innovate, and to work in factories and government agencies for the
benefit of national governments who are pawns to external powers,
rather than teaching them to analyze supply and demand, to invest, to
build businesses, opportunities and networks,
Being convinced that the political and economic unification of the
Caribbean and the pursuit of Caribbean-centric goals are the ways to
develop the region and make us truly independent and prosperous,
Being convinced also that the Eurocentric and colonial political,
economic and cultural structures ingrained in our collective societies are
barriers to our success and fulfilment,
Desiring the prosperity of the people of the Caribbean region and our
strength through unification,
Realizing that the elected governments have not demonstrated the
resolve and desire to pursue Caribbean unification and prosperity, but
are more interested in their own personal, partisan and nationalistic
ideals and pursuits,
Believing that political power and sovereignty resides in the peoples of
the Caribbean, and must be achieved by the people, and that legitimacy
to govern resides with the consent of the people,
Resolving that the collective and individual best interests of the people
must never be allowed to be bought out by any external powers or
interests, nor by any internal colonial, immoral capitalist or terrorist
powers or interests, but that strong, transparent accountability, equity
and checks and balances must be maintained,
Resolving also that the peoples of the Caribbean have an inherent right
to their lives, persons, property and liberty, which no individual nor group
of persons, whether a recognized government or other group, may
violate,
In light of Article 21 (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
which states, “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of
government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine
elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be
held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures,”
And in light of Article 20 (1) and (2) of the African Charter on Human and
People’s Rights, which state, “All peoples have the right to existence.
They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-
determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall
pursue their economic and social development according to the policy
they have freely chosen” and “Colonized and oppressed peoples shall
have the right to free themselves from the bonds of domination by
resorting to any means recognized by the international community,”
And in the spirit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples, which state in its Articles 3 – 5 that, “Indigenous
peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right, they
freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic,
social and cultural development,” and that “Indigenous peoples, in
exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or
self-government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, as
well as means for financing their autonomous functions,” and
furthermore that, “Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and
strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural
institutions, while retaining their rights to participate fully, if they so
choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State,”
We, the peoples of the Caribbean, being the direct children or
descendants of the region, do unite as the Sovereign Independent State
of the Caribbean Diaspora (SISCAD) for the achievement of the
unification, development and progress of the Caribbean region and its
people, in promotion of collective responsibility and mutual respect for
each individual's right to their life, person, property and liberty, and in
recognition and promotion of the National Liberation & Unification Party,
which, when installed in each Caribbean country, shall bring these ideals
to reality.
Part 1 - The State
Article 1 - Establishment of the State
We, the children and descendants of the Caribbean region, who unite
under this constitution, are the Sovereign Independent State of the
Caribbean Diaspora, otherwise called SISCAD, and as such, we the
people are the state.
Article 2 - Principles
The state is organized under the principles of the National Liberation &
Unification Party as are constituted under Article 17, section 6 - these
principles being the principles established under the Manifesto of UIC
Jamaica. The government and citizens of SISCAD shall uphold these
principles.
Article 3 - Languages
The official and working languages of SISCAD shall be the four majority
languages spoken within the Caribbean region: English, Spanish,
French and Dutch.
Article 5 - Citizenship
1. All peoples born in any country of the Caribbean, or born of
Caribbean parents, or who are spouses of peoples who are born in
the Caribbean or of Caribbean parentage, or having Caribbean
grandparents and the desire to be involved in Caribbean affairs, may
apply on the prescribed form to become citizens of SISCAD, paying
the prescribed processing fees.
2. The application form, accompanied by the applicants' birth
certificate, national ID card, and parents' birth certificates, shall be
examined and processed by the government and a decision made.
3. A digital citizenship identification card (ID card) shall be issued to
every successful applicant. The ID card shall bear an identification
number and shall be proof of citizenship. Physical ID cards shall be
shipped to the citizen at additional cost for production/printing and
shipping.
4. Citizen ID cards are valid for 2 years and shall be renewed
biennially; that is, every two years, with a processing fee.
Article 6 - Rights and Responsibilities
1. Once accepted to citizenship, the rights and responsibilities of of
being a citizen of SICAD shall apply.
2. Citizens of SISCAD shall be assured the following rights:
2.1. The right both to vote for representatives for and to contest/run for
any elected position in SISCAD, including that of President, Vice
President, Senator, MP, Minister and any other position that may arise.
2.2. The right to vote on any law or policy being considered by the
Legislature of SISCAD.
2.3. The right to appeal or demand SISCAD to lobby on one's behalf
before the government of one's country or before any organization,
corporation, or any other body of persons that seeks to limit, violate or
take away one's inherent rights as guarded in this Constitution, and the
right to appeal or demand that SISCAD use all available means to
advocate or legally prosecute on one's behalf.
3. Citizens of SISCAD are expected to diligently carry out the
following responsibilities:
3.1. Keep up to date on their biennial citizenship subscriptions.
3,2. Keep up to date on filing their 4% tax contributions
monthly/annually.
3.3. Keep and obey the laws of SISCAD so long as these laws do not
contradict the laws of the country in which they reside.
3.4. Exercise their right to vote and participate in elections and
referendums.
Article 7 - Government
1. SISCAD shall be both a representative democracy and a direct
democracy, with elected representatives crafting legislations and
policies on behalf of the citizens and allowing the citizens to vote on
and suggest amendments to the legislations and policies before they
can be passed.
2. SISCAD shall be governed by a government consisting of a
President elected by the MPs (Members of Parliament) from amongst
themselves, Six regional Vice Presidents who are vetted by the
Senate and elected by SISCAD citizens in the designated regions,
and Ministers of Government who are independent of the
Legislature/Parliament, and who are vetted by an elected Senate and
elected by the MPs.
Article 14 - Legislation
1. Bills may be introduced to Parliament for deliberation by either
majority vote of the Government of SISCAD, or by a Member of
Parliament, or by two Judges of the Supreme Court of SISCAD jointly
signing, or by 14% of the eligible voting citizens via petition. MPs shall
examine a bill and discuss it, then elect a day within 60 days of initial
reading when the bill shall be examined more closely and discussed
fully.
2. The bill shall be discussed and examined in full and amended as
necessary. The bill as discussed and amended by the MPs shall be
uploaded on SISCAD website for a period of 30 to 60 days for the
citizens of SISCAD to comment, approve or disapprove. MPs shall
also cause the bill to be physically displayed in at least two prominent
public places within their local parishes/districts/states/provinces (or
other similar geographical-administrative subdivisions) in the
Caribbean countries, United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, for
the inhabitants of their parish/district/region/state/province/prefecture-
constituencies to contribute to the creation and amendment of the bill.
3. MPs shall meet at the end of the period of 30 to 60 days and
discuss and amend the bill considering the input from the citizens of
SISCAD and the general Caribbean population within Caribbean,
USA, UK and Canadian parishes/districts/regions/states/provinces.
4. The bill then passes to the Senate, which shall read and discuss
the bill and then elect a day within 60 days for a more full discussion
of the bill. After the second reading and debate of the bill, the
amended bill shall be uploaded on the SISCAD website for a period of
30-60 days for only the citizens of SISCAD to comment, approve or
disapprove.
5. At the end of this period, the Senate shall meet and discuss and
amend the bill considering the input from the citizens of SISCAD, and
shall forward the bill to the President of SISCAD to approve or make
suggestions for amendment as he sees fit. If the bill is approved by
the President, it is sent by referendum for the citizens to Approve or
Disapprove. Citizens who Disapprove shall include reasons and make
suggestions for improvement. If there is a simple majority vote for
Approve, the bill is carried into law.
6. If the President makes suggestions for amendment, or the citizens
Disapprove, Parliament shall meet to review the bill with the
suggested amendments. If necessary, the Parliament shall elect a day
within 30 days of the review to more fully discuss. Once approved in
Parliament, the bill shall be sent to the Senate for review. Once
approved in the Senate, the President shall review the amended bill
and Approve or Disapprove. If the President Approves, the bill is sent
by referendum to the citizens to vote Approve or Disapprove. If the
President Disapproves, the bill is also sent via referendum to the
citizens citing reasons for disapproval. If the citizens Approve by
majority vote, the bill is carried into law. If the citizens Disapprove, the
bill is annulled and thrown out.
7. The President reserves the right to challenge any bill that he/she
has Disapproved and the citizens have voted into law in the Supreme
Court of SISCAD if the President believes that the law is
unconstitutional. The President shall argue his/her point before a
Supreme court judge and a jury of thirteen citizens of SISCAD, who
shall consider and make the final ruling on the matter.
8. In the event that the Government of SISCAD is formed and the
Parliament is not yet formed and convened, the Government shall be
responsible for setting policies that the citizens shall examine and give
input, after which, the Government shall review and present to the
citizens for approval. The Parliament, when formed, shall review the
policies and legislations according to the process described in Article
14, Sections 1-7 above.
9. In the event that both the Government and Senate are formed and
the Lower House of Parliament is not yet formed and convened, the
Senate shall propose and debate laws in two readings and then
present the bill to the citizens to give input. The Senate shall then
meet and review, considering the input of the citizens and pass the bill
up to the Government of SISCAD. The government shall also debate
the bill in two readings, then present once more to the citizens for
input. The Government shall then meet once more for discussion and
review, considering the citizens' inputs and then present the amended
bill to the President for Approval or Disapproval, who shall then in turn
present the bill for citizens to Approve or Disapprove. The Lower
House, when finally formed, shall review the legislations according to
the process described in Article 14, Sections 1-7 above.
5.11 To end the cycle of boom and bust debt-based inflationary economics
and its fractional reserve monetary system that works to enrich a few at the
expense of the majority by way of central banking manipulation of interest rates,
legal tender laws and currency supply to devalue the purchasing power of
unsuspecting citizens.
5.12 To protect the right of every adult individual of sound mind to do with
their life, liberty and property as they see fit, regardless of their age, gender, sex,
race, nationality, creed, religion, political affiliation or any other personal
preferences; provided the individual, in exercising this right, does not infringe on
the life, liberty and property of any other individual or persons.
5.13 To protect the right of every citizen not to be taxed for government
corruption and waste by abolishing all taxes, including the property tax, and
replacing them with a single personal and corporate income tax and a sales tax
not exceeding ten percent (10%) each; and by limiting the budget of the
government to this source of income and any legitimate cost-recovery user fees
and fines as its only sources of income.
5.15 To stop the government from borrowing beyond its ability to pay by
outlawing operating deficit spending and restricting capital expenditure to special
capital taxes that must be approved directly by citizens via two-thirds majority
referendums and be paid off by the generation that voted for it.
6. Each NLUP, by whatever name it is called, in the country in
which it is installed, registered and operated, shall follow and
operate under the principles of UIC Jamaica, to which it may add
others, these principles being:
1. Personal Liberty:
Individuals are inherently free to make choices for themselves and must accept
responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. Our support of an
individual’s right to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or
disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may rightly initiate
force against any other individual, group, or government. The citizens reject the
notion that groups have inherent rights. We support the rights of the smallest minority,
the individual.
2. Self-Ownership:
Individuals own their bodies and have rights over them that other individuals, groups,
and governments may not violate. Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to
decide what they knowingly and voluntarily consume, and what risks they accept to
their own health, finances, safety, or life.
3. Expression and Communication:
We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation,
or control of communications media and technology. We favour the freedom to
engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of
others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion.
4. Privacy:
We uphold individual privacy and government transparency. We are committed to
ending the government’s practice of spying on everyone. We support the rights to be
secure in our persons, homes, property, and communications. Protection from
unreasonable search and seizure should include records held by third parties, such as
bank accounts, email, medical, and library records.
5. Parental Rights:
Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their
own standards and beliefs, provided that the rights of children to be free from abuse
and neglect are also protected.
6. Crime and Justice:
Government force must be limited to the protection of the rights of individuals to life,
liberty, and property, and governments must never be permitted to violate these rights.
Laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of others through
force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk
of harm. Therefore, we favour the repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without victims,
such as gambling, the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes, and
consensual transactions involving sexual services. We support restitution to the victim
to the fullest degree possible at the expense of the criminal or the negligent
wrongdoer. The constitutional rights of the criminally accused, including due process,
a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until
proven guilty, must be preserved. We assert the common-law right of juries to judge
not only the facts but also the justice of the law. We oppose the prosecutorial practice
of “over-charging” in criminal prosecutions to avoid jury trials by intimidating
defendants into accepting plea bargains.
7. Death Penalty:
We oppose the administration of the death penalty by the state. Only an infallible God
can ensure that the party pronounced guilty is guilty. The death penalty is irreversible
and as such is an unwise power to vest in the hands of any man or woman. (SISCAD/
NLUPs shall endorse the death penalty only in the case where a previously convicted
capital offender (e.g. murder, rape, trafficking of persons, etc.) has repeated the crime
after previously being deemed rehabilitated, and does not seem capable of
rehabilitation despite best efforts. In this exceptional instance, the death penalty is
carried out for the protection of others, not as a punishment.)
8. Self-Defence:
The only legitimate use of force is in defence of individual rights — life, liberty, and
justly acquired property — against aggression. This right inheres in the individual,
who may agree to be aided by any other individual or group. We affirm the individual
right to responsibly keep and bear arms and oppose the prosecution of individuals for
exercising their rights of self-defence.
9. Economic Liberty:
We want all members of society to have abundant opportunities to achieve economic
success. A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient
manner. Each person has the right to offer goods and services to others in the free
market. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect
property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary
trade is protected. All efforts by the government to redistribute wealth, or to control or
manage trade, are improper in a free society.
10. Property and Contract:
As respect for property rights is fundamental to maintaining a free and prosperous
society, it follows that the freedom to contract to obtain, retain, profit from, manage,
or dispose of one’s property must also be upheld. Property owners must be freed from
government property taxes and restrictions on their rights to control and enjoy their
property, as long as their choices do not harm or infringe on the rights of others.
Eminent domain, civil asset forfeiture, governmental limits on profits, governmental
production mandates, and governmental controls on prices of goods and services
(including wages, rents, and interest) are abridgements of such fundamental rights. For
voluntary dealings among private entities, parties should be free to choose with whom
they trade and set whatever trade terms are mutually agreeable.
11. Environment:
Competitive free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations
and behavioural changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems. Private
landowners and conservation groups have a vested interest in maintaining natural
resources. Governments are unaccountable for damage done to our environment and
have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection. Protecting the
environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights and
responsibilities regarding resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Where damages
can be proven and quantified in a court of law, restitution to the injured parties must
be required.
12. Energy and Resources:
While energy is needed to fuel a modern society, the government should not be
subsidizing any particular form of energy. We oppose all government control of
energy pricing, allocation, and production.
13. Government Finance and Spending:
All persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labour and spend their earnings as
they see fit. To this end, we limit the Government to revenues of no more than 10% of
all individuals’ earnings to fund spending on public goods and services that will
ensure a safe, clean and orderly environment wherein everyone may live, work and
retire with dignity in a truly free and fair market economy. To fund humanitarian
crises, including the proper nutrition, education, healthcare and housing of the poor,
we propose that Government collect a sales tax of 10% which shall be designated for
these purposes. No child should be denied the benefit of basic education, good
nutrition, decent housing or healthcare. The parents (father and mother) must be held
accountable, but the child should not suffer in the process.
14. Government Debt:
The government should not incur debt at interest, but should instead operate on a
balanced budget formula of no more than 10% of the income generated by residents
and print only as much money as can be absorbed by true productivity growth while
protecting the purchasing power of senior citizens by avoiding artificial inflation,
devaluation and deflation at all cost.
15. Government Employees:
We favour repealing any requirement that one must join or pay dues to a union as a
condition of government employment. We advocate replacing defined-benefit
pensions with defined-contribution plans, as are commonly offered in the private
sector, so as not to impose debt on future generations without their consent.
16. Government Regulation:
Economic freedom is one of many catalysts for true prosperity in societies. We
recognize this and thus move to empower the Government's Regulatory role by
ensuring that no force, fraud or breaking of just and objective laws goes unpunished in
our society.
17. Money and Financial Markets:
We favour free-market banking, with unrestricted competition among banks and
depository institutions of all types. Markets are not free unless fraud is vigorously
combated. Those who enjoy the possibility of profits must not impose risks of losses
upon others, such as through government guarantees or bailouts. We support ending
student loan guarantees and special treatment of student loan debt in bankruptcy
proceedings. Individuals engaged in voluntary exchange should be free to use as
money any mutually agreeable commodity or item. We support a halt to inflationary
monetary policies and unconstitutional legal tender laws.
18. Marketplace Freedom:
We support free markets. We defend the right of individuals to form corporations,
cooperatives and other types of entities based on voluntary association. We oppose all
forms of government subsidies and bailouts to business, labour, or any other special
interest. The government should not compete with private enterprise.
19. Licensing:
We support the right of every person to earn an honest and peaceful living through the
free and voluntary exchange of goods and services. Accordingly, we oppose
occupational and other licensing laws that infringe on this right or treat it as a state-
granted privilege. We encourage certifications by voluntary associations of
professionals.
20. Labour Markets:
Employment and compensation agreements between private employers and employees
are outside the scope of government, and these contracts should not be encumbered by
government-mandated benefits or social engineering. We support the right of private
employers and employees to choose whether or not to bargain with each other through
a labour union. Bargaining should be free of government interference, such as
compulsory arbitration or imposing an obligation to bargain.
21. Education:
Education is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality,
accountability, and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the
education of children is a parental responsibility, we would restore authority to parents
to determine the education of their children, without interference from the
government. Parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended
for their children’s education.
22. Health Care:
We favour a free-market health care system as opposed to the existing system that
does not support freedom of choice. We recognize the freedom of individuals to
determine the level of health insurance they want (if any), the level of health care they
want, the care providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all
other aspects of their medical care, including end-of-life decisions. People should be
free to purchase health insurance from whom and as they see fit.
23. Securing Liberty:
The protection of individual rights is the only proper purpose of government.
Government is to be constitutionally limited to prevent the infringement of individual
rights by the government itself. The principle of non-initiation of force should guide
the relationships between governments.
24. Retirement and Income Security:
Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual, not the government. All
government-sponsored systems shall transition to private voluntary systems. The
proper and most effective source of help for the poor is the voluntary efforts of private
groups and individuals. We believe members of society will become even more
charitable and civil society will be strengthened as the government reduces its activity
in this realm.
25. National Defence:
We support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend our country against
aggression. We should both avoid entangling alliances and oppose any attempt by any
country to act as a policeman for the world. We oppose any form of compulsory
national service.
26. Internal Security and Individual Rights:
The defence of the country requires that we have adequate intelligence to detect and to
counter threats to domestic security. This requirement must not take priority over
maintaining the civil liberties of our citizens. The Constitution and Bill of Rights shall
not be suspended even during a time of war. Intelligence agencies that legitimately
seek to preserve the security of the nation must be subject to oversight and
transparency. We oppose the government’s use of secret classifications to keep from
the public information that it should have, especially that which shows that the
government has violated the law. We oppose the use of torture and other cruel and
unusual punishments, without exception.
27. International Affairs:
Foreign policy should seek a state at peace with the world. Our foreign policy should
emphasize defence against attack from abroad and enhance the likelihood of peace by
avoiding foreign entanglements. We oppose any policy of foreign intervention,
including military and economic aid. We recognize the right of all people to resist
tyranny and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and
especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts
are committed by governments or by political or revolutionary groups.
28. Free Trade and Migration:
We support the removal of governmental impediments to free trade. Political freedom
and escape from tyranny demand that individuals are not unreasonably constrained by
government in the crossing of political boundaries. Economic freedom demands the
unrestricted movement of human as well as financial capital across national borders.
29. Self Determination:
Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual liberty, it is the
right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to agree to such new governance as to
them shall seem most likely to protect their liberty.
30. Rights and Discrimination:
We embrace the concept that all people are born with certain inherent rights. We
reject the idea that a natural right can ever impose an obligation upon others to fulfil
that “right.” The government should neither deny nor abridge any individual’s human
rights. Members of private organizations retain their rights to set whatever standards
of association they deem appropriate, and individuals are free to respond with
ostracism, boycotts, and other free-market solutions.
31. True Representative Government
We support non-partisan election systems and representatives of the electorate at all
levels. All candidates must run and stand as independents and should not be funded by
any person, group or party. Each candidate, once nominated by local constituents
only, shall be given equal access to the media, town halls and public debates if they
meet the eligibility criteria of age, knowledge, and experience to serve. Members of
their respective constituencies will be the only nominators and the constituents will be
the only support group behind the candidates, who must also live in the geographical
area that they seek to represent. This electoral system will recognize no party colours,
symbols or seating in the process or structure of our governance. There will be no
provisions, implicit or explicit, for political parties, partisan politics or any other form
of group or divisions. Instead, each individual Caribbean country will have a President
elected nationally, one elected Senator for every parish/district/region or equivalent
geopolitical/administrative subdivision elected by the residents of those parishes/
districts or equivalent geopolitical/administrative subdivision, and one elected
Member of Parliament or (Lower) House Representative for each constituency or
district. (At SISCAD level, - the regional Caribbean federal state - each nationally
elected President will function as a SISCAD Senator and each country's elected
parish/district/region/state Senator (plus one other elected member) will function
collectively as SISCAD Parliament/Lower House.)
The Executive Branch for each Caribbean country under this proposed/intended
governance structure, consisting of the President and elected Vice Presidents, will
nominate Ministers of Government, who will then be vetted publicly by the Senate
and voted in or out by the Lower House/Members of Parliament. These Government
Ministers will not be elected politicians, but rather Caribbean people and descendants
highly qualified in their areas of responsibilities recruited from anywhere they might
be in the world. Once elected to office by the Lower House, they may only be
removed by the same process: a request from the Executive, public review by the
Senate, and a vote from the MPs in the Lower House. This process also applies to the
Judiciary.
31. b.) – Explanation/Addendum to True Representation Government
Structure to be Established in Each Caribbean Country through the
NLUPs
(For us to liberate ourselves, we must organize. However, our
organizational structure cannot replicate the colonial system that
enslaves us. We need a new structure.
(The present system of government and politics does not defend the
rights and interests of the Caribbean people. Rather, too much power is
concentrated in one person and in one group of like-minded individuals
in the same political party, and they act in the best interests of their
party and those who fund the party. This entire system must be
overhauled.
(What currently exists in most countries that pattern the Westminster
governance model or similar colonial models is that the political party
hierarchy or the selected party delegates choose MP candidates for the
people to vote for. On election day when people have voted, the party
that has more successfully elected MP candidates wins the election, and
the leader of the winning party is appointed by the Governor General,
President or Governor as Prime Minister or Premier. The new Prime
Minister or Premier then names the government Ministries and
nominates any MPs or Senators from his/her party to form the Cabinet
as government Ministers, whether they are qualified or not. The Prime
Minister or Premier then nominates a number of persons – the number
usually set by the Constitution – to be Senators, and the Leader of the
Opposition or majority of MPs not in government nominates a smaller
number of Senators. The Governor General, President or Governor,
acting on these nominations then appoints the Senators.
(In this governance and political structure, the MPs and Senators are
not accountable to the people, but are accountable to the Prime Minister
or Premier, their party leader. The party leader Prime Minister or
Premier, is in turn, accountable to no one, for he/she controls the
majority of the Lower House/House of Representatives and the majority
of the Senate, which together make up the Legislative arm of
government, which is responsible for making laws and monitoring the
Cabinet, and he/she controls the Cabinet as well, which is the Executive
arm of the government.
(The Prime Minister or Premier influences the Judiciary as well; that
part of the government that interprets and enforces the law, since he/she
recommends the individual to be appointed as Chief Justice to the
Governor General, President or Governor, and in fact, the Prime
Minister/Premier either recommends the candidate to be appointed as
Governor General or President to the Monarch in constitutional
monarchy governments or, in the case of republics, forms part of the
Parliament which he/she controls, which elects the Governor General,
President or Governor by a two-thirds vote.
(Our system of governance returns power to the people and ensures true
representation and transparency. This cuts down on corruption and puts
the Caribbean people on the path to achieve true liberty, individual
sovereignty and national as well as collective progress – once NLUPs
are able to contest and win elections and effect constitutional reform to
enact this governance model.
(Through the action and electoral victory of the NLUPs in each
Caribbean state and subsequent reform, we will get rid of partisan
politics and the importance/influence of political parties on the election
process so that individual Caribbean nationals of all backgrounds and
stages of life, whether affiliated to a party or not, can apply to run for
political office once they meet all other requirements. All interested
potential political candidates must send in applications to run for MP or
any other contested political office, then must sit a basic governance
test. Those who pass the test will be vetted by qualified external
auditors, then will be interviewed. Those who pass the vetting,
background check and interview will then be allowed to find the
required number of eligible voters in their constituency or division to
nominate them. Only then will they be qualified to run in elections.
Elections will be funded directly by the state once candidates have
successfully passed through the pre-nomination stages. This eliminates
any advantage that wealthy or well-connected/funded candidates may
have had over poorer/less-connected candidates. Everyone is on equal
footing to win.
(We will seek to combine the offices of Head of State and Head of
Government into one position – the President; and we will separate the
election of this national President from the election of MPs. Under the
current colonial systems, we often vote for corrupt or inefficient MPs
just so that our preferred party leader can become Prime Minister. In
governance systems established by NLUPs that have won government
office and successfully passed a referendum, however, the election of the
President will be a national election, separate and apart from the
election of the MPs, which will take place in constituencies.
(This President will not be able to nominate or appoint Senators as
he/she feels, like what happens in the current systems; instead, the
public will elect parish/district/region Senators - one elected per parish/
district/region or equivalent geopolitical/administrative division by the
residents. These Senators, in addition to reviewing bills passed by the
MPs in the Lower House, will also supervise and monitor the work of
the independent MPs in their communities and constituencies, and will
also act as SISCAD MPs, forming the Lower House/House of
Parliament for the regional Caribbean state – SISCAD. Each nationally
elected President will form the SISCAD Senate.)
(In our intended governance system, MPs and Senators cannot have
access to the public funds nor can they be appointed as government
ministers. Under the current systems, the Prime Minister or Premier
chooses any MP from his/her party and a limited number of Senators to
oversee the government Ministries that he/she creates and names.
However, we will make it that the President nominates Caribbean
citizens and descendants who are qualified and experienced in the
relevant Ministry subject matters to be government Ministers, but also
encourages other interested qualified persons to apply. The Senate,
which is independent of the President and independent of any party,
having been elected by the parishes, will then vet each potential
candidate publicly, so that Caribbean citizens can see the process of
deliberation. Those who will have passed the public vetting will be
elected by the House of Representatives - the MPs, who will vote for or
against the appointment of the potential Ministers. Those who are
successfully elected will then form the Cabinet of each country, heading
the government Ministries under the leadership of the President, all
being monitored by the independent MPs in the Lower House.
(In this way, accountability will be ensured as we will no longer be
depending on the same persons who make the laws and policies to also
implement the laws and policies and hold their own selves accountable
in managing the people's business. This system of governance keeps the
Executive separate from the Legislature and allows the Executive to
truly be accountable to the Legislature.
(This governance structure also keeps the Executive and the President
out of the Judiciary (the court system) arm of government. Instead of the
President directly appointing the Chief Justices and other judges, he/she
will nominate qualified candidates who will then be vetted by the Senate
and elected by the House of Parliament, following the same process as
for Cabinet Ministers.)
7. These thirty-one principles of the National Liberation &
Unification Party in the countries in which they shall be installed are
also the principles of SISCAD and SISCAD government.
8. For the avoidance of doubt, the United Independents'
Congress of Jamaica, otherwise called UIC Jamaica, or the UIC, or
by whatever name it may be called in the future, is taken as the
NLUP operating in Jamaica.
Article 18 - Caribbean Economic Council
1. The Caribbean Economic Council shall be comprised of the
President of SISCAD who shall chair the Council, SISCAD Vice
Presidents and Senators, the SISCAD Minister of Finance and/or
Economic Affairs, the heads of government and Finance Ministers of
all Caribbean states, and heads of CARICOM, Community of Latin
American and Caribbean States, and the Association of Caribbean
States.
2. The Caribbean Economic Council shall seek to promote free trade,
inter-regional trade and manufacturing, and economic development of
the Caribbean region.
Part 4 - Finance and Funding
Article 19 - Funding of the State
1. SISCAD shall chiefly be funded and maintained by a voluntary tax
of 4% of monthly net income. Citizens shall voluntarily declare their
income and 4% of their income, and pay the amount monthly or
bimonthly, or they may opt to contribute the accumulated amount
annually.
2. SISCAD shall not normally undertake to investigate the veracity of
citizens’ declarations and filings, but shall encourage and respect the
honesty and good intentions of the citizens. However, where it is
found that a citizen has falsely declared and filed taxes resulting in a
contribution of less than 4% of monthly income, that citizen’s
membership and citizenship may be suspended or terminated.
Part 5 - Amendment
Article 20 - Amendment
This Constitution may only be amended by a 70% majority vote in the
Lower House of Parliament, 75% majority vote in the Senate, and simple
majority vote in a referendum vote by the citizens of SISCAD.