BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO
CIVIL society groups in the Western province are calling on the Ministry of provincial government (MPGIS) to answer why the Western provincial government is still active and holding assembly when nominations for the next provincial elections have been opened.
Speaking to Island Sun Gizo, spokesperson for the civil groups, Mr Andrew Koke says all members of provincial assembly should be ordinary citizens well before the nomination period is opened.
He adds that only the Premier is allowed by law to remain as a care-taker, even then, he says the care-taker premier is without executive powers during this period.
“We are calling on the Minister for Provincial Government to suspend the current Assembly and subsequently halt the Provincial election so the Government can then address the matter,” said Koke.
He labels the situation facing the Western provincial assembly as a ‘mess’, which is ín breach of constitutional provisions’.
The Western province will have its last assembly from May 22 – 29. The full Assembly will be dissolved on June 12, and the provincial elections has been set for June 13.
Comments from the MPGIS could not be gauged before this article went for print.
