Hold referendum on Maladina amendment

Letters, Normal

Since the first reading of the “Maladina amendment” in Parliament last month, there has been a storm of outrage from many people, established NGOs and transparency advocates.
The amendment will curb the powers of the Ombudsman Commission and the fact that MPs have voted 83-0 in favour has drawn outrage.
I was a young man when Paulus Arek and his Constitutional committee members were traversing PNG and the world, seeking views from PNG villagers and citizens and comparing other constitutions with what we wanted.
Some of the founding fathers are still alive today – Sir John Kaputin and John Momis.
Regrettably, we recently lost Bernard Narokobi.
I find the silence from the founding fathers of our home grown Constitution deafening.
Don’t they have anything to offer on this amendment?
Emotional issues alluded to by Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina regarding services to rural people is hogwash.
Rural people have been suffering from lack of services since Independence and the amendment will not alleviate the rural people’s life an iota.
Ironically, it will only get worse when the very people responsible for directing services to the villages sink their dirty fingers into the pie.
The OC is the pillar of PNG.
It is the only arm of the Government that can protect the ordinary people from greedy politicians.
In some Commonwealth countries, amending the constitution requires the input of the people through a referendum.
The people are crying foul and I think the Government should now be sensitive to the subject and hold a referendum.
We cannot allow politicians to dictate changes to the Constitution that will have untold consequences.
Referendum is the answer. Let the people decide.

 

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