The vote that can change everything

Letters

As the vote of no-confidence looms, a shining new era is tiptoeing nearer for the supporters of the 23 Opposition MPs and loyalists of the losing candidates in the last national election.
For them nothing matters but succession and to deliciously square the ‘injustice’ in the election results of 2017.
While on the back of this wild and desperate moment strange things are happening and one now topping the chart is the Opposition crying for a vote of no-confidence and at the same time rushing to look for leaders who are presently already in Government.
The Opposition lacks an alternate policy or candidate for prime minister, says the PM’s confidante and Finance Minister James Marape.
Marape is the latest that the Opposition tried to lure from among those closely connected to the PM.
Breaking that Alotau cohesion is almost impossible.
It is based on mutual and deep respect, confidence and undeniable loyalty.
It is close to the Samurai’s bushido, or code of honour. It is forged in our very own Samarai and the spirit lives on.
Statesmen Sir Julius Chan, Sir Peter Ipatas and senior minister William Duma all turned down this ludicrous offer by the Opposition to become its head.
The Opposition should stop this nonsense of forever headhunting when it should have a head of its own in the first place.
A headless Opposition appealing for volunteers is not the way you change governments in the cut-throat business of PNG politics. But let’s not dwell too much on the Opposition tactics.
They may still have an ace up their sleeve, but how true that is can only be seen when a vote of no-confidence is finally moved.
For now, let us look at the million-dollar question.
Is the vote of no-confidence necessary? Of course, it is necessary.
Who said it isn’t? It’s about fulfilling a legal requirement and keeping the government in check. But is it compulsory? No, it isn’t.
Why? Well firstly, we can skip a vote of no-confidence when the Opposition clearly shows that it doesn’t have the numbers.
This is to save time and face. We can also skip it when there is no need to change the government, especially when we want stability and consistency.
We Papua New Guineans care about the immediate and not the important.
All our focus is on resolving the immediate issues facing us.
We don`t worry too much about the important issues that could bring in long-term impacts and/or prevent long-term crises.
Perhaps, this is the key reason why we change governments like underwear whenever the opportunity arises. When things don’t go our way, we have a tendency to point fingers and pass the blame on to the government.
We don’t pause to allow time forthe problem to be resolved.
When things go wrong again, we cry and complain.
It’s a neverending somber cycle.
A vote of no-confidence has been throwing the country’s political establishment into turmoil and stunting growth since independence.
Governments spend too much time looking over the shoulder when they should be focusing on driving policy and impacting change.
A vote of no-confidence in the government causes instability and is counter-productive to real growth and development.

David Lepi
Port Moresby

2 comments

  • I aqgreed with you David Lepi, that one part said about people want things to be done immediate and not the important.just like baby crying for milk when never realizing mother is busy doing many house works. We papua New Guineans seeing something changinging but our culture ways and systematic ways drives us not to prosper when someone doing good job always describes him of not good and want our tribes man or favourable person to be in to run the country.We don’t care about long term or important and never value a Prime Minister who is quality leader who is full of knowledge and wisdom and God chosen Leader.You can try many ways but cannot unless God changings

    Fabian Tamau

  • I think vote of no confidence is not the only reason for being opposition of the parliament.Opposition is like a monitor,which keep their eyes on the government on how the country is run.
    They do make sure that,everything is
    run to a manner where citizens of png are fully satisfied and under the constitutional rights of people.
    If there is no opposition,country will be run onesided.
    Thankyu opposition.
    Sebastine Hiawara
    Wewak.

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