12:45 PM |
Opinions divided over sacking of Cook Islands Parliamentary Leader
Updated
Opinions are divided in Cook Islands, over the Prime Minister, Jim Marurai's decision to sack the leader of the house, John Tangi.
The government has been in turmoil since last year, when Mr Marurai sacked the former deputy and the leader of the Democratic Party, Terepai Moate.
Several government ministers resigned in protest.
The row means that there has still not been a parliamentary sitting this year.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speakers: Ulamila Kurai Wragg, Pacific Beat's regular contributor in the Cook Islands
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KURAI WRAGG: It's getting to be a fascination for us to watch what's happening. I could compare it to a merry go round or a circus in town.
COUTTS: So can you just background us and tell us exactly what the circumstances were that led up to the sacking of John Tangi?
KURAI WRAGG: Well last week, the Prime Minister decided to advise the speaker to revoke John Tangi's appointment as the leader of the house and there was no reason behind it, there was no reason given. John Tangi said well, I will accept whatever the prime minister, did because it is his prerogative. But the President of the Democratic Party Makiuti Tongia he has referred to the sacking as bizarre and shameful. According to Tongia he cannot understand why John Tangi had to be sacked from being leader of the House, because he was elected by parliament as a leader of the House in 2006 when parliament convened for this parliamentary, for the four years. But then again, Gero, things have been done now without any reason. The Prime Minister has been calling the shots and some people have said that he's bagged some good decisions, some sectors of the community are saying he is not been very fair. But having said that, we ask again what is the point of having a leader of the House when parliament has not sat since last year. I think about October last year, our parliament has not sat at all and there is a lot of uproar about parliament should be resuming to discuss money supply and we're now into the second quarter of the year and there is still no parliamentary sitting. So there was no reason behind his sacking. The Prime Minister just said he had to go, John Tangi had to go as leader of the house.
COUTTS: Is it because there has been some allegiance swapping and he can't trust Mr Tangi anymore?
KURAI WRAGG: Yes, exactly that. Well John Tangi is actually the spokesperson or the mouthpiece or the one, the brain behind the existing Democratic Party with the sacked, with the former deputy prime minister, Terepai Moate, is also party leader. John Tangi is with them and so you can see we are looking at the two factions now. We're looking at the faction led by Moate, including John Tangi and also the faction led by the Prime Minister and his five member Cabinet. There is six altogether in that cabinet and this had led to so many other issues Gero. There is now a unanimous call as well from the members of the Democratic Party for the party to sit in a conference, to call a conference as soon as possible so that they could sort all these issues out. The voters, the Democratic Party voters are saying that this has not been fair to them. There has been a lot of name calling, a lot of politicisation of their party when they say that there were systems in place of a party and also one of members of the Caucus.
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aotearoa, new zealand
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