How Do You Elect a Prime Minister among the 17?

ROUND Number Two on Talk with Rick Wayne happened on Thursday night. My first appearance was on Oct 16, 2011. I am thankful for the opportunity and if this were a test, be sure that I scored higher this time around. It allowed me to reach an audience that I would not, through my writing. I was able to put out some aspects of the independent model, a feat I was not able to accomplish in my first outing. I am very sure that there will be people whose eyes are opened to what I have been preaching for years. Of course, there are those who have yet to be convinced. You will never convince everyone but you have to work toward building a critical mass.

Sadly, I was not able to get through all the prongs of the independent model, but allow me to list all eight here for those who may be interested.

1. All candidates in a general election run on an independent ticket
2. No parliamentary representative will be made a minister of government
3. All ministers are appointed from the public service
4. Parliamentary representatives become the head of local government in his or her constituency, attending to the needs of their respective constituencies
5. The option of recall, should constituents be dissatisfied with representation
6. The prime minister is elected. He or she is voted in by the entire nation and is not a parliamentary representative
7. The upper house or senate is done away with and replaced with a council of ministers
8. Appoint a president instead of a prime minister. The role is not ceremonial.
A few issues came up on the show which I welcomed. Had I been able to go through the prongs, the issue of the election of a prime minister by the entire nation which Rick grabbed on to is indeed part of the model, as one can see here.

Another issue was, how is a prime minister elected under the independent model. The answer; the same way it is done now; the person who carries the majority of support from among the members of parliament. Until we reform the constitution, a prime minister is never elected. He or she is selected. In its only convention that has our political leaders sitting as prime ministers. Allen Chastenat does not have to be Prime Minister right now if the majority pleases.

Now the greatest hurdle for the night was how do you get 17 people of different thinking and persuasions to make decision and I could also answer this by saying the same way they do now. You take a motion or bill to the parliament. It is debated and you vote.

A coalition of independent candidates is nothing less than a party, I maintain. As to the matter of opposition, in the independent model there is always internal opposition which makes for better vetting of bills and motions.

Of course there are pros and cons to every system. With the party decision making is easier. The independent model poses questions and challenges like any other system and as I always say it is not etched in stone. If there is anyone out there that can make it better, please do.