Proposed VoNC amendment

An absolute majority of 79 members voted for the proposed Constitutional amendment on Section 145 of the Constitution which went through a second reading today to protect a sitting prime minister from a Vote of No Confidence after an unsuccessful motion.

Fourteen MPs voted against the constitution amendment - mostly from the Opposition.

Attorney General Pila Ninigi presented a bill to add a new subsection 5, which states that if a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister is unsuccessful, another motion of no confidence cannot be proposed for 18 months, starting from the date of the unsuccessful motion.

Mr. Ninigi, during the second reading, said that there is currently no time frame established following an unsuccessful vote of no confidence.

He also emphasized that this issue directly relates to concerns about political volatility and the stability needed for a government to effectively implement its programs and plans for the country.

An unsuccessful motion of VONC in the Prime Minister was in September.

The proposed amendment was suspended for two months for the third reading.