GOMPA, Nimba – A Gbarnga-based NGO, Development Education Network Liberia, has completed a meeting with citizens in Gompa on how to engage lawmakers in the ongoing constitution review process.

In August 2015, the President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf received the final report on the National Constitution Conference. The report was presented to the Liberian leader by the chairperson of the Constitutional Review Committee, Gloria Musu Scott. Sirleaf had earlier set up the CRC to review the 1986 constitution.

At the end of the committee’s five-day assembly in Gbarnga, March 2015, 25 of the propositions were taken to the NCC, with over 500 delegates from various sectors of society voting on it.

Subsequently, Sirleaf forwarded the CRC recommendations to the Legislature for a possible passage of a referendum date on which citizens would vote upon six propositions. The document still lies in the Capitol with a referendum date yet to be established.

Augustine S. Toweh, the project coordinator for DEN-L, believed that many Liberians are not aware of the details of the various propositions.

“I can’t say whether the Liberian people are happy about the six final propositions that should go to referendum,” he said, “because lots of them are not aware of the process.”

DEN-L has been holding these meetings in Sanniquellie and Gompa and is expected to move across Liberia. Sponsored by USAID, the hearings brought together representatives from DEN-L, youth groups, women’s group, elders and other citizens from Gompa and surrounding areas.

While the meetings aimed to get citizens to engage their lawmakers, Toweh noted that he was disappointed in the fact that lawmakers who were invited to the meeting to respond to questions from citizens were not present. However, he remained upbeat about the outcome of the exercise.

“I do not see this process as time being wasted,” he said. “We are bringing this to the citizens so that they can be aware and start to engage their lawmakers in the process so that the process cannot be a waste of time – so that we are doing it to keep the whole process alive.”

Toweh said he was encouraged by the level of interaction from the public during these meetings.

“Looking at the way people were speaking about issues, deliberating about issues, I felt so strong,” he said. “I feel so good about it.”

Past involvement of citizens in civil issues has not yielded much success, but Toweh believes that if the opportunity is given this time, especially with the constitution review process, a better result will be produced.

DEN-L is an organization that promotes grassroots empowerment, economic justice, democratic development and gender equity.