CARE COALITION OPPOSED AMENDMENT BILL TO ATTAIN STATEHOOD IN PARLIAMENT

Former Member of Parliament for Langalanga Lagoon, Matthew Wale opposed what has been an issue of utmost importance to Western and Guadalcanal Provinces, which is the process to attain statehood or state system of governance.

In the last parliament, the Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA took to parliament the bill to amend section 16 of the Constitution to cater for the creation of Constitutional Assembly- the body charged to oversee the draft federal constitution.

DCGA has been serious in pursuing the federal system of government, and true to its noble intention it brought before the parliament the bill to amend section 16 of the national constitution.

When the bill was brought before parliament, former MP for Langalanga strongly opposed the amendment. He branded ‘this side of the house’ will not support the amendment bill. He cited then that the bill is unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.

However, it took a few minutes in parliament for Wale to realize that two of the members of the opposition and independent group did not support him, and this was the only reason that he made a ‘u turn’ decision on the floor of parliament.

Political pundits believed that Wale’s ‘change’ in decision to support the amendment bill is not genuine and that if CARE Coalition comes into power it will repeal the Constitutional Amendment Bill.

Western Province initially wanting to break away from the rest of the country after independence in 1978, that intention subsided over time. However, the Province’s leaders still advocate to this day for statehood- a much lesser radical call compared to the cry for a break away country.

Guadalcanal Province took up the issue in the late 90s spurred by what they have seen as inundating takeover of their lands by other ethnic groups. The call for statehood became one of the important bona- fide demands of the people of Guadalcanal. The issue holds dear to the hearts of Guadalcanal people to this day.

The Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) has the track record to prove that it is genuine, keen and ready to advance the attainment of statehood. The passage of the amendment bill to amend section 16 of the national constitution in the last parliament speaks volume of DCGA’s true intention to bring about federal system of government.

The people of Western and Guadalcanal Province should question CARE Coalition position on this.

OPMC PRESS RELEASE