By EDDIE OSIFELO
THE DCGA Government’s proposed policy to extend Parliament from four to five years would deny people their democratic right to choose who should represent them more frequently.
A survey carried out by Transparency Solomon Islands found 47 percent of the respondents strongly agree that such a policy would deny them their rights to go to the polls more frequently.
“Any policy that denies citizens democratic rights is not acceptable.
“The Prime Minister labelling citizens as ‘tom, dick and harry’ and public officers as ‘lunatics’ at the floor of parliament indicates the country needs new leadership,” TSI said.
“To be labelled these names for demanding to be consulted, saying no to dictatorship, for having the best interest of Solomon Islands when they leaked the secret China Security MOU with DCGA respectively shows a government and leadership that has lost touch with its people, also a government that does not show care and respect for its people.
“The DCGA Executive Government has very little respect for the views,” TSI said.
“The DCGA Executive Government has very little respect for the views, concerns etc of citizens, nor does it recognise their democratic and human rights to be heard.
“Elected representatives of the people must treat people with dignity, make them aware of their rights be it political, legal, civil, or human rights,” TSI said.
Twenty-eight (28) percent of the respondents strongly disagreed with citizens being denied their democratic rights.
“Should the DCGA be a government that has shown a heart for the country, people, unite the nation, does not declare war on its own people, does not train our police force force crowd control using guns, and seek people’s view, it would not have mattered.
“The DCGA government is not such a government but has openly denied people their democratic right to participate in debates of issues of national interest and concern,” TSI said.
“The extension can only mean more of the same.
“Solomon Islands citizens must stop this dictatorship,” TSI said.
