Test in parliament

By JEFFREY ELAPA
POLITICAL parties, which are signatories to the Alotau Accord, will be put to the test today when the amendment bill to extend the grace period for a motion of no-confidence from 18 months to 30 months is introduced in parliament.
The introduction of the bill would be the first business of government after the opposition’s budget reply and passage of the 2013 Budget following debate.
It is expected the amendment bill to section 145 of the Constitution to extend the grace period would be moved today, after the budget reply, or later this week.
Several political parties have indicated their support to extend the vote of no-confidence grace period including the National Alliance, People’s
Party, United Resources Party, New Generation and the United People’s Assembly.
A majority of the governors at their conference last week also pledged their support.

It is expected that the constitutional amendment would have to go through two separate sittings.
Leader of government business James Marape said the opposition would reply to the budget when parliament resumed followed by the budget debate.
It is expected the 2013 Budget would be passed comfortably with a big majority on the same day.
Several members of the opposition had also indicated supporting the budget. They said it was a budget that focused on the development agendas of the local level governments, the districts and provinces.
Marape said after the budget debate and passage, the government would introduce the amendment to section 145 of the Constitution, a move to stabilise governance for 30 months.
PUA leader and Hela Governor Anderson Agiru said last night: “The party will support the 30-month grace period. We need stability in government.
“At the same time, we would like an assurance from the prime minister that the government will introduce other important constitutional amendments that are also pending. These are the amendments to the Prime Minister & NEC Act and the Judicial Conduct Act.”
Enga Governor and People’s Party leader Peter Ipatas said his party would support the prime minister for political stability.
“The 2013 Budget is geared towards improving and developing the LLGs, districts and the provinces. What else do we expect? We need to allow the government to rule for 30 months so that its policies are realised.
“The extension is not the prime minister’s greedy move, it is as per the Alotau Accord that we have all agreed as parties,” he said.
New Generation party leader and member for Manus Ronny Knight also said that his party would support the move as per the Alotau Accord.
William Duma, the URP party leader, said he and his party would fully support the prime minister.
Section 145 was written into the Constitution to prevent abuse of executive powers and functions and, initially, the grace period was only six months.
This was moved to 12 months and then to 18 months as this provision was used excessively through the 1980s.
The first successful motion was in 1981 when Sir Julius Chan, a firm defender of this provision, took over government reins from then incumbent Sir Michael Somare.