Do the honourable thing, Kavo

 IT’S now official – convicted Gulf Governor Havila Kavo cannot hold office while waiting for his appeal against conviction in the Supreme Court.

And that’s coming from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. 

Deputy Prime Minister Leo Dion, who is the minister responsible for Provincial and Local Level Government matters, issued a media statement on Friday that made it quite clear that Kavo must step aside immediately “to protect the credibility and integrity” of the Office of the Governor of Gulf Province.

Dion said: “It has come to my attention through the media that there have been so much debate and controversies regarding the Office of the Governor of the Gulf Province since the imprisonment of Regional Member for Gulf Havila Kavo and his release on bail by the court pending outcome of the appeal. 

There are differing legal opinions and arguments on the status of the Office of the Governor given the current scenario as the Organic Law on Provincial Governments and Local-level Governments 1995 is inconsistent and not explicitly clear in such event where a serving regional member of a province is convicted and imprisoned for offences committed while occupying the Office of a Governor and released on bail pending appeal. 

In such situations as the minister responsible for Provincial and Local-level Governments matters and Minister administering the implementation and operations of the enabling law, Dion said he was duty-bound to protect the integrity of the Office of the Governor and the best interests of its constituents who are in this case the people of Gulf. 

We agree that since Kavo was convicted and imprisoned for 18 months term for offences committed while occupying the governor’s office, it was ethically and morally proper that he clear his name through the courts before resuming his role as governor. 

Although Kavo has been released on bail and outside of jail pending the outcome of the appeal, the court decision is still in-effect and his status as a prisoner of the State remains until determined otherwise by the higher court.

As Dion rightly said, Ka­vo and his legal team must allow common sense to pre­vail by concentrating on the appeal and refraining from continuously using the media as such actions are creating doubts in the minds of the people and the investors, “thus calling-into question and demeaning the Office of the Governor for the Gulf Province”.  

Dion added: “To protect the credibility and integrity of the Office of the Governor of Gulf Province from further demeaning and call-into question; Havila Kavo is advised not to conduct any official businesses in any capacity as the Governor for Gulf. 

“Hence, I hereby further reaffirm and uphold the previous advice from my department dated December 15, 2014, by recognising and allowing the Deputy Governor to care-take and continue assuming the role of the Governor for Gulf Province and chair the Provincial Assembly while awaiting the final outcome of the appeal.

“I trust that this will finally clarify and put to rest all the conflicting views and issues surrounding the current status of the Office of the Governor of the Gulf Province.”

We couldn’t agree more with Dion’s clarification and urge Kavo to step aside and wait for his Supreme Court appeal. 

This will not only to protect the integrity of the governor’s office but it is in the best interests of the Gulf people that he vacates office immediately.

Kavo’s recent conviction, the first for a sitting governor, has brought disrepute to the province, whose past and present political leaders have seemingly failed to achieve meaningful development and deliver government services to the people.

Most of this inhospitable province remains under-dev­eloped with basic government services, such as health and education, still inaccessible to the bulk of its population.

There is little or no infrastructure development such as roads, bridges and wharves. 

The only major road link is the Port Moresby to Kerema highway. There is a small airstrip in Kerema town but no wharf and the list goes on.

In fact, there is very little that the leaders and people of Gulf can be proud of.