House losing credibility

THROUGHOUT the country people had their full attention on the last meeting of parliament which began yesterday for a variety of reasons.
Eyes and ears were glued to television and radio sets while those lucky enough to be allowed through the gates of parliament in Port Moresby jostled for
the limited space in the chamber.
One half of the population – numbering a little more than three million people – had a bill before parliament to reserve 22 seats in the next
parliament exclusively for women.
Those politically aware knew this is the crucial meeting of parliament when this bill has to be passed or it might never be.
Women came in busloads in the hope that the reserved seats bill
would be read.
They defied security orders about footwear and stampeded into the grand entrance in tongs,
daring guards to remove them.
Jiwaka people, numbering nearly 200,000, and some 350,000 Hela people are waiting with bated breath for Minister Assisting Prime Minister on Constitutional Matters and Jimi MP Wake Goi to present to parliament the Boundaries Commission report on the two new provinces.
They too know that their dream to become separate provinces rests on the decisions made in this sitting of parliament.
The acceptance by parliament of the Electoral Boundaries report would pave the way for elections in the two newest
provinces next year.
So much effort had gone into preparation but everything depends on
parliament passing the bills.
Goi waited for the right number of MPs to be present in the chamber and for the speaker to take the chair before he stood up to present the report.
And, when Speaker Jeffrey Nape finally took his chair one hour late, he disappointed everybody.
He created, as we mentioned in our page one story, “pandemonium” in parliament again by removing from the chamber and from this parliament Pomio MP Paul Tiensten.
He did so for the same reasons as he removed Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare on Sept 6 – for allegedly missing three consecutive sessions of parliament.
Tiensten refused to budge from his seat until the speaker had to himself leave.
Then, Tiensten went out.
When Nape re-emerged in the chamber, Tiensten also took his chair in the
chamber with encouragement from his group.
When the speaker ordered the sergeant-at-arms to remove him, Tiensten loudly dared somebody to come and move him. Others joined him in loud and abusive arguments.
Parliament descended into a mad house.
There was no decorum, no respect and no decency. It was a free-for-all
with shouts, threats and curses.
Whether or not the speaker’s decision is correct is uncertain now with Tiensten claiming he had not missed three sessions of parliament at all.
That needs to be tested and it might well end up in the courts as has Sir Michael’s ouster.
But that the speaker should announce his decision in the dramatic manner he did, and at a time when political emotions are running high indeed, seems a mite irresponsible.
It threatens to throw into chaos the budget session and the important legislative agenda before this parliament.
And politicians on both sides of the political divide must see this for what it is. It is not about political power play.
It is about bringing down shame and disrespect and indignity to the highest law-making body in the land – the legislature, which is parliament.
It does not matter a wit which side of the political divide politicians occupy at the moment but the kind of drama and lack of dignity that has accompanied the last few sittings of parliament do not augur well for PNG’s legislature.
Dignity, respect, decorum and all these characteristics are fragile character
traits dependent on the
perceptions of people.
You crack them and like broken glass, they are impossible to fit back together again.
Respect for the institution of parliament must be paramount.
This is not a place for one-upmanship or political grandstanding or chest beating.
Perhaps, it can be summed up in the disappointed comment by a woman on the steps of parliament after parliament adjourned to today: “This is the very reason why women are needed in this house.
“Women will bring back self-respect, dignity and common sense.”
She has a point there.

OP/ED