LEADER of Opposition Hon Matthew Wale says the current electoral system is dysfunctional, outdated and has been corrupted against our own best national interests.
Hon Wale made this statement in Parliament recently during his speech on the Honiara City Council (Amendment) Bill 2023.
He said it is terrible that in our current system, the electorate does not have any reasonable chance of knowing who might be their leader of government at the various levels of government during elections.
Hon Wale said the election of the leader of government is left to only those few who have been elected, and has left our governance extremely vulnerable to the worst of corrupt human nature.
“The electorate must have the mandate to elect the leader of government at the various levels of government, based on the proposals presented at elections,” he said.
The Opposition Leader said the changes needed to our political governance and therefore the electoral system that supports it must be targeted at obtaining the clearest mandate from the electorate, at the various levels of government.
He said this has to happen in tandem with the development of the role of political parties.
Hon Wale adds it is important that political parties present leadership and policies to the electorate and seek the electorate’s consent on that body of policies and the leadership to deliver on those policy proposals.
“If the government is serious about reforms to provide greater political stability, it must anchor such stability in the direct mandate of the electorate. As it is, the mandate of executive government is not from the electorate, but only from the few who posses and animate executive government,” he said.
Hon Wale said this situation has gotten worse as the electorate has been ignored in very important policy and legislative agenda.
He adds this has allowed liberty for the executive government to proceed on legislation as if any mandate for its actions and decisions are derived only from those in executive government.
“This clearly is not good for our country, and we have a responsibility to change it,” he said.
