Motion of No Confidence

[Soraya Hoseini]

Madam Speaker,

I put forth the motion for consideration of this body "that this House has no confidence in the Velez government".

The government lost its coalition partner a few days ago and is now pretending to govern as a minority government as their numbers continue to plunge in the polls.

The government should do the right thing after such a bruising loss of support and resign immediately.

When we have a government that cannot govern or has enough votes legislation through Parliament, it must go to the country for a new mandate.

It's the Night of the Living Dead for this government. I say, no more zombie governments.

I yield.

[Speaker Rejo]

Under the provisions of Section VII, Rule 8 of the Rules of Order, this Motion of No Confidence takes precedence over any other matter being considered by Parliament. I further rule under Section VII, Rule 8.B of the Rules of Order that the mover of this motion is the Leader of the Opposition, and therefore the Motion of No Confidence will be considered immediately outside of a normal docket.

The Chair now opens the debate on the Motion of No Confidence. No less than 48 hours shall be allocated to debate on the motion.

[Marco Zimmer]

Madame Speaker,

Recently, my party has left the coalition with the government, leaving the government now in the minority. This government, including when we where involved, has failed the people. I feel my party failed and I failed and let down the people. But so has the Liberty & Democracy Party. It time for people to decide upon a new government that will work for them!

And given a majority and a mandate, the DSP will work for the people of Alduria. We will redeem ourselves and prove that socialism is the way to build a better Alduria. The Liberty & Democracy Party have an inability to continue to develop Alduria and the ANA wants to close our borders, destroying the very thing our country is built off.

In the election, if this motion does pass, it’s a clear choice between more of the same with the Liberty & Democracy Party and Aldurian National Alliance, or change and development with the DSP. It’s time for an election, and it’s time for change.

[Soraya Hoseini]

Madam Speaker,
 
It is hard to see the leader of the Democratic Socialists switch into campaign mode in this debate. It’s ridiculous and insulting. The Right Honorable Gentleman was part of this government and he cosigned on each of this government’s failures! How dare he say more of the same with my party – more of the same? His party and himself were part of this government! This is nothing more but a slick and deceitful attempt to bait and switch the voters.
 
And let me tell this Chamber, I am here to remind everyone. I am here to remind everyone about how this government – the LDP and the DSP – failed to act when our religious communities were being targeted by terrorists. I am here to remind everyone about how this government has failed to repel the Iron Fleet massed just outside of our shores. I am here to remind everyone about how much of a disappointment this government has been to the people that vested their trust in it!
 
Shameful. Shame on the Right Honorable Gentleman, and shame on this zombie government.
 
I yield.

[Marco Zimmer]

Madame Speaker,

We did fail in government, I will be the first to admit that we did fail in government and we failed to tackle the issues that affected the people. And I want to apologise to the people of the country for failing. But we will act in government, with a mandate for the policies to act for the people and build a better Alduria. As the junior party in coalition we didn’t do enough to force the government into action and take action ourselves. But with a mandate for our policies and a majority, we could build a better Alduria. It is time for change and we will deliver it and avenge the failures of the coalition that we where a party of.

[Alfonso Velez]

Madam Speaker,

As I said to the people of the Republic, this is a great betrayal that shows that the DSP can not be trusted to honour their agreements. If they can't honour their agreements in this Parliament--how can the people of Alduria expect them to live up to the agreements they make to them? The answer is simple: they can't.

Madam Speaker, the leader of the DSP made much ado about the fact that the Government wasn't taking steps to address problems. As he himself admits--he never used his position in Government to step up to the plate to take charge on these issues.

This Government can and must improve--but the answer to the uncertainties facing the people of the Republic right now is not further uncertainty and an election. We're at war, and now more than ever we need a strong, stable, and experienced Government at the helm to guide the Republic to victory and ensure the security of the Republic. Quite frankly, Madam Speaker, the leader of the DSP was terribly irresponsible triggering these actions during the middle of a war and the Leader of the Opposition should also be ashamed of plunging our Republic into uncertainty during these difficult times.

I face reality: we are now a minority Government. I don't dispute this. That doesn't change the fact that we're at war--and we must do all we can to keep a strong Government at the helm--a Government with experience--a Government with a proven track record of funding and supporting the Defense of the Republic. That is this Government.

I recognize that we will not be able to pass controversial legislation with a minority government--and frankly, Madam Speaker, I don't think that's a bad thing given our current situation.

Let me offer a constructive alternative. Let's vote down this motion. Support this Government so that we can see the end to this war or reach the term where elections are mandated--whichever comes first. Once this war is won, this Government will commit to holding fresh elections. This is the responsible course. In the meantime, this Government will focus on legislation that can command a majority of this Parliament. We will focus on objections that can have broad cross-party support. I encourage this House to put the stability of the Republic above political partisanship and vote against this motion.

[Soraya Hoseini]

Madam Speaker,

The Prime Minister should be ashamed first of his lack of a response to the murder of faithful Aldurians in the streets of this country. The Prime Minister should be ashamed first that he has prosecuted a war with no results, no progress, and no victories. The Prime Minister should be ashamed that he hides behind his libertarian dogma to avoid presenting meaningful solutions to the impending education crisis in this country.

The Prime Minister should be the first to be ashamed that his failure of a government is now in tatters, cowering behind hubris and avoiding responsibility for them.

It's time to end this farce. It is the Prime Minister's failure in government that has truly plunged this country into this crisis. Even when this body holds him accountable, he hides behind his hubris and denies responsibility, avoids any sort of true reckoning. It's shameful, embarrassing, and frankly, it's disgusting to watch.

The best time to change the Prime Minister's failing leadership was before the war. The second best time is now.

Our military is resilient and strong. Our institutions, currently encumbered by this failure of a government, remain resilient and strong too. In a democracy, changes in leadership are common, even in trying times.

Alduria is ready. I am ready. Let's end this zombie government.

I yield.

[Soraya Hoseini]

Madame Speaker,

As this debate ends, I want to restate the case for this motion. It is no joy that we have come to this point as our nation, especially since we are at war against the Verionian scourge of the world. It brings no happiness that this discussion must happen at a time where our country is facing internal troubles as we see terrorists continue to murder our nation’s faithful in their place of worship.

But this is the point that we are in.

We are here because this Government has failed the children of Alduria. We are beginning to see the rise of an education crisis in this country that we cannot ignore. To doom our children to a disparate and ineffective education system, if you can even call it a system, is to doom them to a future where they cannot earn a living. We’d doom them to a future less bright, less happy, less productive.

We are here because this Government has failed to protect the faithful of this country. Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion, the freedom to worship as you please. But this Government has failed to respond to a wave of violence aimed at this very freedom, refusing to even meet with families or even institute national grief for these tragedies. This Government has done nothing. This country has thrown this freedom to the dustbin under this Government, dooming this essential freedom to virtual non-existence in practice.

We are here because this Government is prosecuting a war that has gotten stuck in the muck. There has been no progress, no victories, no advance. The Iron Company has invaded Togafaga and all we have done to respond to our ally’s cry for help is to authorize force but not use it. We’ve already lost here.

This where we are at today. I can keep listing every failure of this Government, as there are more. But I won’t go on.

The point of this motion is that when the Government loses its coalition partner and the Prime Minister has no majority in this Parliament to govern, there must be consequences.

The people have made it clear in recent polling that they think we’re headed in the wrong direction. Instead of standing here and listing every failure of this Government, it is time to let voters have their say. It’s time to let people judge this Government’s record on its own merits and decide whether it deserves a mandate to govern.

Alduria does not deserve a zombie government. It deserves a strong government.

I yield.

[Yakim Beg]

Madame Speaker,

Might I propose that the maturity of a democracy, and its superiority over the myriad other forms of government which afflict so much of the world in this day and age, is precisely on account of the fact that it is resilient enough to cope with a change of leadership during the course of a conflict. If the Honourable Members feel that a change of leadership is necessary for the more vigorous prosecution of the war, the more effective mobilisation of our economy, and civil society, and an overall improvement in the strategic leadership of our Republic, we owe it to the nation and the people whom we serve to be truthful and forthright in effecting that change.

On a point of order, must the passage of a motion of no-confidence necessitate the calling of fresh elections or could a new administration be formed from amongst the Honourable Members in this present Parliament if the numbers could be found?

[Speaker Rejo]

On a point of order, must the passage of a motion of no-confidence necessitate the calling of fresh elections or could a new administration be formed from amongst the Honourable Members in this present Parliament if the numbers could be found?

I think the Honourable Gentleman for his point of order. In answer, if the motion of no confidence is adopted by this Parliament, then under Section VII.8© of the Rules of Order, the Prime Minister is obligated to advise the President of the Republic to dissolve this Parliament within 10 days of the adoption of the no confidence motion--which would necessitate a new election.