By SUSUVE LAUMAEA
The latest preoccupation by Opposition MPs, “drifting MPs in the middle benches and individuals from within the government’s own rank and file with scheming to overthrow the government in a parliamentary no-confidence motion smacks all over of political opportunism, self service and greed.
The nation’s prevailing issues of alleged corruption, misappropriation of public money, unemployment, poor wages and living conditions for frontline public servants such as teachers, policemen, soldiers, health workers and many more, exorbitant urban housing rentals, shortage of affordable public housing in urban centres, lowly social indicators and human development index, poverty, law and order, healthcare, education, deteriorating public institutions and transportation infrastructure will not be solved effectively and meaningfully by an incoming new government in mere two years before a national general election.
In effect, going by observation over the last 34 years, an incoming government within 18 to 24 months of a national general election would spend all its time and public resources and money on propping up its re-election chances.
Let’s not all get on the emotional bandwagon and look at a parliamentary no-confidence motion to throw out the present government as the only way or the last resort to right the present wrongs that have been done to people and nation under the almost eight-year watch of Sir Michael and his National Alliance Party-led governing coalition.
We all know that Sir Michael and his NAP may have become institutionalised but they are not indispensable.
All thinking citizens should put their best efforts over the next two years towards building nationwide support for zero tolerance and national cleansing of corrupt and self-serving political leaders.
The national campaign should go to the extent that all present 109 MPs must not be re-elected because they are all deemed to be painted and tainted with the same paint-brush of greed, selfish pursuits and alleged corruption of due processes in lawmaking, good and transparent governance and for efficient procurement and delivery of public services.
The nation’s immediate, medium and long term economic, political and social stability would be better served and assured should the Prime Minister as head of the executive government, Speaker Jeffrey Nape as head of the legislature and Opposition Leader Sir Mekere Morauta showed unity of legislative purpose by strengthening OLIPPAC anew in the interest of long term economic, political and social stability for the nation as their legacy after they have been and gone from the political scene.
Sir Michael and Sir Mekere must assert their leadership by jointly initiating corrective amendments to provisions of OLIPPAC which their honours, the judges of the Supreme Court found to be flawed, restrictive of specific freedoms of MPs and therefore deemed by their learned honours to be unconstitutional.
The nation has been watching them and expecting them to show assertive leadership but has been getting only hot air and pious platitudes in the daily media as the leaders sparred for political supremacy over the other.
Not good enough.
The ball’s in your joint court, Sirs.
Yours truly,
Susuve Laumaea
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