Our Republic: Our Constitution, our responsibility, and our future

By Dr Marlene Attzs, Economist

Email: marlene.attzs@gmail.com

When Trinidad and Tobago severed the final constitutional ties to the British monarchy in 1976, we did more than replace a monarch with a president. We made a deliberate choice to enshrine in our Constitution the principle that sovereignty rests in the people. That moment was meant to be transformative. We, the people, assumed responsibility to craft our own destiny, guided by laws of our own making.

Our Constitution is not just a legal document; it is the foundation of our Republic, the framework that guarantees our rights, defines the limits of power, and charts our collective aspirations.

The Constitution as living guide

Our Constitution is often spoken of in abstract terms, but it should mean something deeply personal to each of us. It is the guarantor of our freedoms, the safeguard of our dignity, and the covenant between citizen and State. To be a Republic is to live under laws that demand fairness, justice, and equality—not as distant ideals, but as daily realities.

I think we sometimes forget that the Constitution is not meant to be tucked away in law libraries or invoked only in courtrooms. It is a living guide. It sets out who we are, what we value, and how we intend to organise ourselves as a society.

Its spirit should be visible in how our schools treat our children, how our police engage with communities, how our government spends public money, and how we as citizens treat one another.

A republic of institutions

The framers of our Constitution understood that personalities come and go, but strong institutions endure. The Republic they envisioned was one where courts would be fearless in upholding justice, where Parliament would be robust in debate and oversight, and where the Presidency would stand as a symbol of unity and impartiality.

But institutions thrive only when leaders and citizens alike respect their independence and defend their integrity. When institutions are bent to suit partisan ends, the Republic is weakened. When they are fortified by transparency, accountability, and respect, the Republic is strengthened.

A republic of citizens

Yet a Republic requires more than a constitution. It requires active, ordinary citizens who understand that rights come with responsibilities. To be a citizen is not only to enjoy entitlements but also to accept obligations—to insist on accountability, to participate in civic life, and to resist the temptation of apathy.

As I noted in an April 2024 piece, this has long been one of our great weaknesses.

Past constitutional commissions recognised that citizens were increasingly disengaged and sceptical of political processes. Many dismissed consultations as political ‘mamaguy’ on the road to elections, while others simply tuned out, assuming the Constitution was not their business.

But constitutional reform is not for ‘them’—it is for us. It is, as I have written before, ‘WE ting’. It demands participation, vigilance, and ownership by all citizens.

My own appointment as an Independent Senator has made me even more acutely aware of the importance of the Constitution and the guardrails its framers included.

Those provisions were not abstract—they were intended to ensure that we, the people have a framework within which we can not only survive but also thrive. Sitting in the chamber, I am constantly reminded that this document is both shield and compass, and that each of us bears responsibility for making it live in practice, not just in text.

Towards a more perfect republic

In Trinidad and Tobago today, we face crime, inequality, and eroding trust in governance. These are not failures of our Constitution, but of our stewardship of it. The meaning of being a Republic lies in our willingness to keep strengthening the institutions and values that our Constitution embodies.

And now, the Republic awaits the first budget of this new Government. This is no ordinary exercise in accounting.

The budget is the Republic’s most important policy document. It reveals priorities, exposes choices, and tests courage. It will challenge the Government to set out a credible plan for growth, equity, and stability. But it will also challenge the Republic itself—to show that we, as citizens, are prepared to hold leaders accountable, to accept necessary sacrifices, and to rise together to shape our nation’s destiny.

A budget is a mirror of our values. Will we invest in education so that every child can dream bigger? Will we strengthen healthcare so that the vulnerable are not left behind? Will we create opportunities for our youth, so they see a future here, not only abroad? Will we diversify our economy beyond oil and gas, or will we continue to tinker at the margins while deeper problems fester?

As the Preamble to our Constitution reminds us, the economic system, reflected in the budget, must ensure that the material resources of the community are distributed to serve the common good, that there are adequate means of livelihood for all, and that opportunity for advancement is based on merit, ability, and integrity.

These are not lofty aspirations—they are constitutional guardrails, obliging every government to shape economic policy in service of the people, not the few.

A Republic is not a one-time proclamation. It is an ongoing promise—one that each generation must renew. That vision remains as urgent today as it was in 1976.

The Republic now awaits—not only the words of the Budget, but the actions that must follow. It is in those actions that we will see whether we are prepared to build a Republic that is not only free on paper, but strong, just, and prosperous.

Let us ensure that in both policy and practice, we leave behind a Republic worthy of our children’s inheritance.

That’s my point of view!