Encouragement of corrupt practices
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 - 13:59
The changes to the Constitution [clause 23] regarding the ability to continue to sit in the assembly or hold any office means that a "convicted" person who is sentenced to less than 2 years can still sit in the assembly and hold office. This does send a rather odd message to the public and the world - that the Tongan house of parliament and the Cabinet will allow a convicted person, whose character is thereby reduced, to still hold office! - John Cauchi
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Comments
Not sure what your point is!
Not sure what your point is! The fact that in Tonga MPs can be arrested and if proven guilty convicted . . . unlike many "so called" Democracies . . . for example the west . . . would you prefer their system of handshakes under the table?
Tonga is a NEW country, a fledgling Democracy . . . and in these circumstances should be applauded for their efforts. Maybe not always right or wrong . . . they are trying.
If you think you have
If you think you have democracy you are dreaming. In the other "so called" democracies every parlimentarian is elected, not appointed. Every MP has a right to vote on matters in parliment a recent example is that is concerned nobles so only they can vote. They seem to spend more time looking after their mates rather than the people.
I think that Mr Cauchi's
I think that Mr Cauchi's point is that the actions of a few in our Parliament viz the nobles that have been charged with offences, and the subsequent agreement of fellow Parliamentarians (who may be members or wannabe members of Cabinet in future reshuffles) to change the constitution or pass a law for the benefit of their colleague(s), is sending out a bad message to the public and the rest of the world. Mr Cauchi is right. It’s like moving the goal post while the game is in progress. One law for the elite, and another for the rest of the population. Definitely a no no for the fledgling democracy that is the work in progress in our beloved Kingdom – so, no applause please!
Mr Cauchi attributes the encouragement of corrupt practices which is emerging, to the government of the day adopting only its own submission as the way forward to developing a democratic Tonga, rather than adopting “the very careful considerations of the Constitutional Commission and their recommendations.” The final report we are reminded was never released.
So, can we call on the Government to release this report now? Are copies already available? If copies were provided to the aid donors who contributed to the cost of the exercise, surely it is the right of citizens/tax payers in our fledgling democracy, to ask for and be given a copy of this report? Who knows, the recommendations of the members of the Commission might provide some ideas on what is needed to fast track the development of a more inclusive caring democratic society than the track that we seem to be on at the moment.