Papua New Guinea's political crisis has sparked renewed discussion about whether to change the country's system of government.
Papua New Guinea's parliament. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
The Opposition filed a legal challenge against last week's sitting of parliament when the government adjourned the house until April.
It came days after the Opposition gained a majority and prepared for a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister James Marape.
The chairman of the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission, MP Kevin Isifu, last week issued a media statement calling for a review of the system of government.
He was critical of the actions of parliament's Speaker in overriding the opposition's move to adjourn parliament to December.
According to Isifu, MPs representing almost 60 percent of PNG's population were denied adequate opportunity to present themselves in parliament last Tuesday.
In a move that drew criticism from some quarters for politicising the Commission's office, Isifu said it was time to change the system so that people can directly elect the prime minister.
A PhD scholar specialising in PNG constitutional law, Dr Bal Kama, said some of the founders of the country's constitution advocated strongly for having a republican system in PNG and allowing the head of its government to be directly elected by the people.
Instead, PNG adopted the Westminster system, but Kama said ongoing issues regarding motions of no confidence and tussles for leadership highlighted the need for reform.
An expert in public and constitutional law and governance in the Pacific, Dr Bal Kama was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy by the Australian National University's College of Law in March 2020 Photo: ANU
On the other hand, he explained, PNG would also need to consider the risks of changing the system.
"In terms of will there be a fair play, or the tribal nature of PNG society and this notion of regionalism... how will that play out when it comes to directly voting something like a national leader? Will they have political tensions among those groups that are already there in Papua New Guinea?"
Kama said any review of the system of government must involve widespread consultations.
"It needs to be a national dialogue. It needs to happen right across the country and not pushed by any political sides. It has to be one that's based on well-informed decisions, research and participation from the public."
Meanwhile, Kama identified the chronic lack of women in parliament as one of the main issues needing addressing in PNG.
There are no female MPs in the country's 111-seat parliament. The highest previous number of woman in any PNG parliament was three.
Kama described it as a fundamental gap in the national political system.
He said that for the health of PNG's democracy, this gap should be addressed by all leaders across party lines as a matter of national importance.
"They have a duty to ensure that women, who are critical to the wellbeing of the nation in every aspect of society and every level, are given the equal opportunity and special provisions, because of the context of the country - the opportunities are not equally distributed to them."
Previous attempts in PNG's parliament to legislate for reserved seats for women have fallen short, however Kama said it's a matter that prime minister and every leader must take ownership of.
Papua New Guinea parliament facade. Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades
