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Saturday, September 09, 2006
Back ‘No-el’ in ’07: Defensor
Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor is calling on councilors who are on their last term to support the move to do away with the 2007 elections.
Defensor also urged them to help campaign for charter change.
“Without an election in 2007, you could put in your perspective on what path this country should take and what our national leaders should do,” Defensor said yesterday, the second day of 3rd Termer Councilors Recognition Rites at an uptown hotel.
The ceremony had more than 2,000 delegates from different provinces.
He said councilors are “bestowed with a big role in nation building.” Aside from their primary job of passing local laws, people always look up to them for help even with personal problems.
Signatures
House Resolution 1230, which proposes amendments on the 1973 Constitution, was passed in the committee level last Tuesday. It has 173 signatures from members of the majority bloc and will soon be presented in the plenary for debate.
The resolution did not say when the elections will be held. But it suggests that after the charter change is ratified, an interim parliament should be organized to fix the date of the election.
Three-year term
For Defensor, a three-year term is too short for a “good” councilor because he cannot have ample time to plan and implement things.
“It will be good if we don’t have election next year. Good for the country, for the economy and for the people. Good councilors should not be deprived of (the chance) to continue with his good vision of development by the term limit,” he said.
Defensor also said charter change is vital to the economic and political stability of the country, and that these are assured in a parliamentary government.
“We should not distract the good trend of our economy by spending P10 billion to P20 billion for the election next year.
Instead, we should work for a system that is stable and this is provided in the parliamentary government,” he said. (AIV)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 9, 2006 issue)
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