VOTING FOR OR AGAINST THE BUDGET!!!

The Opposition Should Never Vote In Favour Of the Ruling Party’s Budget!

There is now great confusion in regards to the issue of the opposition voting against or for the yearly budget presented to the National Assembly for approval at the end of the year in December as it is now customary in our country. The SNP the main and only opposition party with representation in the National Assembly currently voted in unanimity endorsing the 2008 budget last December. They have not as yet been able to justify their actions, but decided instead to remain silent on that matter - this from a group of people championing the cause of “fer tande ou la voie” (make your voice heard).

This is a long standing principle in all democracy - the opposition never endorses the budget of the ruling party by voting (“yes”) in favour. The rational behind this line of thinking is simply and straight forward - all the opposition members in the National Assembly should know that, if they don’t then they should not be where they are representing the electorates. First and foremost the budget was put together by the ruling party without any form of consultation or involvement whatsoever of the opposition, which in that particular case was the SNP. The figures representing the various allocations contained in that document had been put together by the Minister for Finance and his team of advisers, French advisor included. There is no way of knowing if the sums proposed are accurate or exaggerated - only the Minister and his team knows that because they have the luxury of having access to all government figures.

Secondly, even if the figures are proper there is absolutely no guarantee and the SPPF government has never respect what they themselves put forward in the budget over the years. During the implementation stage the budget is totally ignored, it is set to one side by the SPPF government as if it does not exist. Some ministries are over subscribed deliberately for embezzlement. Misappropriation of funds is rampant in the government – the SNP cannot say that they do not know of these facts - yet last year they chose to support and voted yes for the 2008 budget. WHY?? It is fundamentally wrong, morally corrupt and totally out of character for any opposition to vote in favour of the ruling party’s proposed budget. The SNP has some explaining to do, they have for a long time been evading that point. In the name of transparency and accountability, which SNP speaks so highly of - whenever the opportunity presents itself. They have a duty and a responsibility towards the voting public to provide at least some clarification on this matter. We are predicting here and now three months before the presentation of the next budget (2009) to the National Assembly that the SNP will not vote in favour of the 2009 budget. “Qui Vivera Vera”.

Abstention is normally the way to go in any given situation simply because the opposition has no way of knowing or checking the authenticity of the figures and it does not have any form of control over the implementing stage of the budget. “Zot in les tonbe!!”                

 

September 5, 2008
Copyright 2007: Seychelles Weekly, Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles