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| Registrar presenting his presentation to the participants |
I was invited by the UNFPA to participate in the Mock Youth Parliament in Bougainville. The forum was conducted in Buka from December 3 to the 9.
I was asked to talk about " leadership and how to be a good MP and political parties". The presentation I made was firstly on leadership and how to become a leader. All these 3 ideas are related. As a Leader, you become a Member of Parliament and in order to go into Parliament you maybe a member of a political party. Individuals join parties, then if you succeed you become a MP and thus you are a Leader. A leader cannot be a leader without the people or followers.
Leadership, has existed since human beings lived on this planet. It can be made up of one person or a group of people. Leadership starts from the smallest unit – family and in all stages of one's life – church, council of elders, clan, tribe, school, constituency, province and country.
Parliament is the highest decision/law making body in the land. What is approved by Parliament is final. People that become MPs are either appointed or they are elected. Those that are elected represent a group of people who elect them during elections to be in Parliament. Parliament is made up of the Government and the Opposition.
Political party is an organisation that is made up of individuals who share a common interest. Political party contest elections by putting up candidates. Main objective is to be in control of the government. Parties have leaders and it is the leaders that manages and controls the affairs of the parties. MPs join parties as candidates, they then contest the elections, they become MPs and in the process provide leadership at the national level. Leaders of parties can become the Prime Minister or President and its members can become Ministers or they may sit in the Opposition.