Behaviour of our leaders appalling

THE behaviour of our political lea­ders in the recent times was appalling.
It was a sight to behold watching how our leaders became so intoxicated with power.
I am not a supporter of either side.
What is obvious is the O’Neill faction is determined to cling on to po­wer but the way it went about doing it was ridiculous and a slap in the people’s face.
The judiciary does not have the power to appoint prime ministers, only the parliament.
However, that does not mean parliament can appoint or dismiss prime ministers at will.
Procedures must be followed.
And when there is doubt or question over whether proper procedures had been followed, it is the judiciary’s duty to interpret and clarify the law.
It did that on Dec 12 by ruling that Sir Michael Somare was the legitimate prime minister and the appointment of Peter O’Neill was not proper.
O’Neill and his faction should accept that ruling and go back to parliament.
The question of Sir Michael not having the numbers should not be used as an excuse to hold on to power and defy the court’s ruling.
The issue is not about who is the most popular candidate, numbers aside.
The issue here is whether proper procedures were followed when Sir Michael was removed as prime minister in August.
The court’s decision must be respected.
I am all for a change but it should be done with due respect to the rule of law and spirit of the Constitution.
I appeal to our politicians to show maturity and to put the Constitution and the interest of the people first.

BN
Port Moresby