BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
PUBLIC have been urged to mobilise and have their voices heard on matters of national interest.
Member of parliament for West Makira Hon Derrick Manu’ari, signing the petition to have government return the anti-corruption bill to parliament yesterday, said that we must not be complacent with what government promises since it has proven to be inconsistent in living up to them.
The ongoing petition signing against the withdrawal of the Anti-Corruption Bill commenced yesterday.
Manu’ari said while he supports the petition he also encourages citizens to mobilise and have their voices heard on things of national interest.
He added that a lot of MPs especially those from the opposition and independent group are in support of people who are in the fight against corruption.
Speaking on the government’s statement about the return of the bill, he said that there is no guarantee that such will take place because the government has been inconsistent in what they have said and done.
In addition, Manu’ari stressed that the biggest loop in this anti-corruption bill scenario is the government raising the hopes of people, making them think that the bill would be passed in parliament only for it to be withdrawn instead.
Moreover, he said that the Prime Minister’s statement on members of the opposition group filling in the ears of his ministers about what would happen regarding the bill is misleading.
In this regard, Hon Manu’ari alluded that government ministers are capable of reading the bill themselves thus are in no need of the opposition group or any party to read or explain anything to them.
“We have nothing to do with the withdrawal of the bill,” he said.
The Member of Parliament for West Makira also mentioned that the withdrawal of the anti-corruption bill was motivated by quest for political survival.
