Sir Kina Bona appoints working committee to review the Organic Law on the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates

On Wednesday the 8th September,2010 the Registrar of the Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates Commission, Sir Kina Bona brought a number of representatives from the National Research Institute, the Center for Democratic Institutions at the Australian National University, Canberra and staff of the Commission to organize a special Policy Workshop to be attended by selected experts and consultants both from within the country and abroad to find solutions to the OLIPPAC situation in the light of the recent Supreme Court decision.

Sir Kina said that “We must take time and careful consideration to do this properly and not rush for a quick fix solution which might not be in the interests of the Nation. Political stability and the integrity of politicians and political parties are of paramount importance and therefore we need to ensure that how we go about achieving that goal is proper and legally correct as required by the Constitution. We must research and critique the options or proposals available to us. We need to consult the views of all sectors of the society which is not an easy task. Political parties will no doubt be major participants in this exercise.”

In the interim, a Working Committee comprising of Dr. Ray Anere, Dr. Musawe Sinebare, Dr. Alphonse Gelu from the National Research Institute, Dr. Grant Harrison from the Center of Democratic Institutions, Australian National University, Dr. Orovu Sepoe, Dr. David Anere and Peter Wotomu from the Registry. Other members of the Working Committee have been identified but have yet to confirm their participation. This Committee will begin the task of planning and organizing the Special Policy Workshop to be followed by a National Forum/Dialogue immediately after the meeting.

The task of the Policy Workshop will be to engage in a comprehensive political and institutional review and to brainstorm the issues at hand and to come up with tangible and meaningful solutions. Some of the crucial questions facing OLIPPAC are: What should we do next, now that the teeth of the guard dog have been removed? Do we legislate again and if so what and how do we do that without breaching the Constitutional rights of Members of Parliament?

The Policy Workshop which is tentatively scheduled for the 21st – 23rd February, 2011will be followed by a National Dialogue/Forum the aim of which is to seek public opinion for an alternative solution.