Ed Op: THE ELECTORAL TSUNAMI : PART 2
15 December 2021 : On 2 December I wrote an article relating to the premature actions of the now former Electoral Commissioner by (a) appointing 2 women candidates to parliament before the appeal time had lapsed, and (b) handing in his resignation to take up a position as Deputy President of the Land and Titles Court (LTC). In the past 2 weeks, the consequences of these decisions have continued to play out.
An appeal has been lodged by an unsuccessful woman candidate in the recent by elections. Depending on the outcome this could void the appointment invoked by the former Electoral Commissioner and signed off by the Head of State. The Speaker acted correctly in not swearing in the 2 nominated women candidates until some finality was reached. In addition, the Attorney General has recently verified that the LTC legislation is defective in that it does not contain the necessary legal and financial provisions to effect any appointment. Subsequent legislation will be required to be drafted and passed.
This not only reflects poorly on those who drafted the initial bills but also on the LTC Commission, the President of the LTC, the now former Electoral Commissioner and indeed the Head of State, all of whom are qualified lawyers. Regrettably what these actions demonstrate is the manner in which some (not all) senior public servants continue to act otherwise than in the best interest of the government of the day.
It also demonstrates the blind haste and the lack of proper process in the drafting and review of the controversial legislation which were passed into Acts by the former government just 1 year ago. As I reported previously, the actions of the former HRPP lead government in persuing this legislation at all cost was perhaps the single most significant factor in its demise at the polls. Clearly voters were tired, annoyed and frustrated by their tactics and voted for a government re- set. Interesting too that the 4 parliamentarians who voted against the LTC legislation now hold senior ministerial positions, including Prime Minister in the new government.
We await further developments.