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South Pacific Independent News Network · 07-11-2021, 09:20 PM

Year 19 | 11 July 2021

THE SPINN
WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT NOMINATION?
James D. Halpert | Senior Editor

Prime Minister Witchcraft & Sorcery (W&S) was recently nominated to the General Corps, the institution that helps govern the Special Forces. This has prompted concerns from some prominent legislators about the propriety of the nomination. Former Delegate Tsunamy raised a concern that this -the Minister of Defence nominating the Prime Minister to a lifetime post- could look like favouritism. This was echoed by former Prime Minister Sandaoguo, who said that the Cabinet should avoid even the perception of corruption. Minister of Defence HumanSanity has argued that W&S is qualified to serve as General and that the nomination would have been made regardless of their recent election as Prime Minister.

These concerns and responses aside, I wish to focus on an issue that was briefly touched upon in the debate. Witchcraft & Sorcery is currently serving as Prime Minister and also sits on the Legislator Committee. This means that they are the region's head of government and also have a lifetime seat in the institution that reviews legislator applications; that is, the institution that accepts new voters. Earlier this year Phoenix served on both the General Corps and the Legislator Committee, while Roavin served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Associate Justice. More recently Kris Kringle has served as both Chief Justice and Election Commissioner.

To be clear, these appointments are not inherently wrong. It's entirely possible that Witchcraft & Sorcery is qualified to be Prime Minister and sit on the Legislator Committee and the General Corps. Is that, however, the precedent that we want to set? Do we want to be content with the idea that someone can hold multiple positions just because they are qualified for them? Perhaps we should place a greater focus on diversifying our talent base, ensuring that there are enough people around to perform different duties without having to overburden any one person. This is easier said than done, of course, but is it still not a goal worth pursuing? We might want to keep that in mind when the time comes for the next nomination.

The South Pacific Independent News Network (SPINN) is an independent news organisation established in 2003 with the goal of providing good, insightful and timely commentary on regional events for the citizens of the South Pacific. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board. Content is published via pseudonyms. The SPINN is not associated with the Government of the South Pacific.