Vanuatu teaches region lesson in governance
WHILE October was a tumultuous month for the people of Vanuatu, events in the former condominium taught the region valuable lessons in governance.
Across the Pacific, people reacted with incredulity to news that Speaker Marcellino Pipite had used temporary executive powers to pardon himself and 13 Members of Parliament.
His attempt to subvert the law came just days before the MPs were to be sentenced after being found guilty of accepting bribes amounting to Vatu 35million or around USD$319,000.
In accepting the bribes the men – including Deputy Prime Minister Moana Carcasses – had agreed to support an opposition vote of no confidence which toppled the previous government. They faced up to 10 years in jail.
All it took was the absence of President Baldwin Lonsdale in Samoa for the guilty group to take matters into their own hands.
Pipite’s attempt to circumvent the law made a mockery of a republic which has been a model of democracy since its independence in 1980. This republic of 260,000 people has had five prime ministers between 2009 and 2015.
Votes of no confidence and changes of government have been all too common but parliamentary democracy has prevailed and civil unrest has been minimal. In this most recent case, democracy has prevailed again.
On his return from Samoa, President Lonsdale immediately took hold of the situation, upheld the constitution and sent the errant speaker and MPs to jail. He said Pipite had disregarded Vanuatu’s constitution and used his temporary executive powers to pervert the course of justice.
Lonsdale said pardons only applied to people who had already been sent to jail. He has now given the government of Prime Minister Sato Kilman and the opposition limited time to bring the situation under control.
There can be no doubt that Baldwin intends to ensure that the government and the republic uphold Vanuatu’s supreme law – the constitution. By playing free online pokies you get many benefits. Firstly, such a game does not cost you a cent and most online casinos do not even ask for registration. Secondly, such slot machines greatly improve your skills. Unlimited bankroll allows you to play free pokies games with different bet sizes by analyzing the payout rate. As a result, pokies for free refine your playstyle before you test it in real games. Finally, you don’t need to worry about casino bankroll so sit back and enjoy every spin. Over the past years, free pokies have appeared in every casino and you will have no problem finding them anytime!
In 35 years as an independent nation, Vanuatu has put many Pacific neighbours to shame. While many regional governments have run rough-shod over their people and the law for political gain and selfinterest, Vanuatu has maintained a dignity marred only by this incident.
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