Marina Yanaka is one of Polasciana’s longest serving politicians, having been Prime Minister (2003-2007), First Deputy Prime Minister (2008-2011), Foreign Minister (2011-2013) and acting as the Centrist Party’s Candidate for President in 2015. In 2019 she also ran for the governorship of her home state of Béspura.
I left politics in 2019, but the events of the last few days have stirred me to speak up once again. In all of our nations, young, history, we have prided ourselves on working together to solve the many challenges we face. For that reason, I believe in collaboration. I believe we are stronger together than apart. I believe our politics is better served by politicians of all parties working together. I served as Foreign Minister in a government led by my party, but that worked together with a president elected from another. I do not shy away from making tough decisions, nor the difficult choices that comes with working together.
But if my party makes a grubby deal to stay in power on the back of tainted Nationalist Party support, then it won’t just damage the Coalition – it will rip the country in two.
The fact that the Nationalist Party has been at the forefront of trying to pull the many different communities of the country apart for many years is bad enough. The fact they have been embroiled in scandals for over four years would normally be a line. But the fact that the legislative elections have still not been certified by the Electoral Council because of suspected voter fraud committed by the party should be totally disqualifying of any arrangement by itself. Yet, the leadership of my party apparently still do not even see this as concerning enough. This is before we consider that there is not a viable alternative majority from the opposition. That means there is absolutely no need to do a deal of this kind. Instead, my party can make a brave decision. Continue to govern, issue by issue, case by case. On our own. Let’s see if we can persuade members of the opposition to back us when it matters most. Let’s believe in our own abilities to come together and govern in the national interest, not in the Nationalists.
Whilst politicians may be tired of split government, the decision by the country leaves us no real alternative than to work together. It’s what people have voted for.
I hope that in the next few days, as voters go back to the polls to elect a president, and as the legislative results can be verified, we can once again focus on what matters most – working together to face up to the many challenges our country faces, but also the many possibilities and opportunities for us to grasp. It’s what our country needs.
A deal with the Nationalists will rip the country in two.
Marina Yanaka is one of Polasciana’s longest serving politicians, having been Prime Minister (2003-2007), First Deputy Prime Minister (2008-2011), Foreign Minister (2011-2013) and acting as the Centrist Party’s Candidate for President in 2015. In 2019 she also ran for the governorship of her home state of Béspura.
I left politics in 2019, but the events of the last few days have stirred me to speak up once again. In all of our nations, young, history, we have prided ourselves on working together to solve the many challenges we face. For that reason, I believe in collaboration. I believe we are stronger together than apart. I believe our politics is better served by politicians of all parties working together. I served as Foreign Minister in a government led by my party, but that worked together with a president elected from another. I do not shy away from making tough decisions, nor the difficult choices that comes with working together.
But if my party makes a grubby deal to stay in power on the back of tainted Nationalist Party support, then it won’t just damage the Coalition – it will rip the country in two.
The fact that the Nationalist Party has been at the forefront of trying to pull the many different communities of the country apart for many years is bad enough. The fact they have been embroiled in scandals for over four years would normally be a line. But the fact that the legislative elections have still not been certified by the Electoral Council because of suspected voter fraud committed by the party should be totally disqualifying of any arrangement by itself. Yet, the leadership of my party apparently still do not even see this as concerning enough. This is before we consider that there is not a viable alternative majority from the opposition. That means there is absolutely no need to do a deal of this kind. Instead, my party can make a brave decision. Continue to govern, issue by issue, case by case. On our own. Let’s see if we can persuade members of the opposition to back us when it matters most. Let’s believe in our own abilities to come together and govern in the national interest, not in the Nationalists.
Whilst politicians may be tired of split government, the decision by the country leaves us no real alternative than to work together. It’s what people have voted for.
I hope that in the next few days, as voters go back to the polls to elect a president, and as the legislative results can be verified, we can once again focus on what matters most – working together to face up to the many challenges our country faces, but also the many possibilities and opportunities for us to grasp. It’s what our country needs.
Prime Minister (2003-2007), First Deputy Prime Minister (2008-2011), Foreign Minister (2011-2013), candidate for President (2015)