Sort out issues in chamber

THE Supreme Court on Friday declared that there were no breaches to the Constitution in the election of James Marape as prime minister on May 30, 2019.
Opposition leader Belden Namah was seeking to invoke the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to interpret sections of the Constitution to declare Marape’s appointment as null and void.
The court ruled that the controversy issues which arose from the election were internal procedural matters of parliament which were non-justiciable, that should be resolved in parliament and not by the court.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika’s remarks during the court sitting is one point that voters take note of use to tick whether their MP has represented them well on the floor of Parliament.
Sir Gibbs said: “All members of parliament have duties and responsibility to participate in debating issues on the floor of parliament, which is why they are elected.
“They should not come running to court all the time to find answers. Like the courts, Parliament has its own internal processes, practices and procedures to guide it on parliamentary and constitutional procedures in the form of standing orders.”
His comments relate to what transpired last May 30, in Parliament but if you understand what the role of an MP is, then you will know that MPs not only deliver or ensure services reach their people in their respective districts but also debate on national issues.
An MPs (politicians) primary responsibility is to act in the national interest.
They should also act in the interests of their constituents where this does not override their primary responsibility.
A politician is a person active in politics.
They propose, support and create laws or policies that govern the land and, by extension, its people.
With just one outstanding court case against the Government on the legality on the adjournment of Parliament to next April, it is supposed to be back to work for all 111 members of parliament.
MPs are the representatives of all of the constituents in their electorate.
Their responsibilities are therefore often wide-ranging.
The ways in which MPs typically serve their constituents includes: giving assistance and advice to those in difficulty; acting as a lobbyist for local interest groups; being a communicator for their party’s policies and playing an active community role.
To meet these responsibilities, local MPs need to be active in their electorates to keep in touch with what is happening and to get to know constituents’ views and problems.
Members should give constituents help and advice, communicate the needs of their region to the Government, and promote their policies to the community.
Members provide a direct link between their constituents and the Parliament, and member in large electorates can spend a lot of time travelling within their electorate.
Each member should have an office in their electorate and those with the largest electorates have two.
Constituents often bring their concerns to their local MP.
If a matter is particularly urgent or serious, the MP may approach the relevant minister directly, or may even bring the matter before the Parliament by asking a question of the responsible Minister.
As we said in an editorial last week, people should be aware or at the very least be able to know what their members were doing on the floor in the districts.