Political Briefs
Political Briefs
Tonga drops amendments
After strong international protests and pressure, Tonga's government has dropped some of the contentious constitutional amendments it published in May with the aim of muzzling anti-government newspapers and to block the judiciary from overruling some new laws, according to the Tongan pro-democracy movement. Pro-democracy MP Akilisi said the draft legislation MPs received ahead of the resumption of parliament at the end of July showed that the amendment stopping a judicial review had been dropped. Pohiva said the democracy movement would still proceed with a civil disobedience campaign if the government enacted other control amendments that would damage freedom of speech.
Somare seeks parliament support
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, in July, was fishing for parliamentary support for a legislation to make it harder to topple a government with a no-confidence motion. The grace period inside which a new government could not be attacked with such a motion would be extended from 18 months to 36 months, and an absolute majority vote would be needed for the motion to be successful. Most government ministers and MPs were backing his move. Somare said his purpose was to leave behind a legacy of political stability and good government. Papua New Guinea would have a guarantee of political stability and continuity of government it lacked, he said.
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Opposition Leader, Sir Mekere Morauta, attacking the move, said the country needed a flexible system of government with a pressure valve that allows for a no-confidence vote when the people are unhappy with government's performance.
Somare said the legislation he proposed included the recognition and establishment of the Office of the Opposition with its own budget appropriated annually in the national budget. "We have experienced the outcome of weak political parties, manoeuvrings by Members of Parliament and frequent motions of no-confidence. We must deal with these situations to make way for progress," he said. "I have no selfish interest in maintaining my term and that of the current coalition government for five years."
Heather wants clarification
Cook Islands National Party leader Teariki Heather has asked the High Court to declare whether the seats held by MPs Norman George and Paora Teiti are automatically vacant following audit disclosures that they are receiving public salaries.
Cook Islands law specifies that MPs who receive salaries as public servants lose their seats. Heather said the jobs given to the MPs by the Democratic Party government made a mockery of its political responsibilities.
Fiji, Samoa resist US pressure
Samoa and Fiji were reported to be resisting United States pressure to sign a deal with it by July 1 to exempt United States citizens from trial by United Nations international war crimes tribunal. Both Pacific Islands countries said they did not want to undermine the tribunal, which they were committed to support. The United States Embassy in Fiji said countries which did not accept the United States demand would damage their relations with Washington.
Ona sticks to no-gone zone
Francis Ona, the Bougainville Revolutionary Army leader, says he won't accept a peace agreement which in 1997 ended a nine-year war for Bougainville's independence from Papua New Guinea. Instead, he maintains his locality around the Panguna copper mine as a "no go" zone. While not interfering with the implementation of the peace agreement between Papua New Guinea and other elements of BRA, Ona awaits the independence he expects to arrive eventually. Ona is backed by the hard-line Me'ekamui movement. Ona spoke after the June 30 departure from Bougainville of the Australian, New Zealand and Fiji observers who assisted with implementing the initial stages of a peace agreement that grants Bougainville autonomy from Papua New Guinea's central government.
More seats in French senate
French Polynesia's representation in the French Senate in 2007 will rise from one to two senators, making it equal with New Caledonia's under reforms by the National Assembly (parliament) in Paris to lift the total number of senators from 321 to 346.
