What is going to be your legacy?

Having or leaving a legacy are two completely separate things as we will discover and I am sure as I scribe this and you, the readers start to read it you will be wondering what treatment I have been receiving since I have not written for the last few weeks.
So here we go on a ride that will for at least this week be my Legacy to you.
Legacy can be defined in several different ways and listed below I have endeavored to make it easier for us all to understand exactly what a legacy is.
A legacy can be money or property bequeathed or handed down in a will. Something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor from the past, including custom land or chiefly titles.

Your legacy could be Money or Property that you arrange for someone to have after you die.
Example, my grandmother passed away and left me a small legacy. Or alternately it could be a style or fashion that was uniquely yours that is handed down thru the ages from generation to generation.
It could be a bitter feud with a rival village that has been lasting for years and years to the point where the real point of it is the legacy in itself.
An example would be after a war an enduring legacy of bitterness and suspicion has emanated from the warring parties since the hostilities have ceased
A legacy is something that is passed on to you from family, including reputations.
An example of legacy is family property that has been handed down for generations.
A legacy means having had a family member attend a university/school or institution before you.
An example of a legacy is a college student who applies to Malapoa because his grandfather and father both went there.
A legacy means an older style or system. A legacy could be something that you have achieved that continues to exist after you stop working or die... even a secretary leaves his or her legacy with something as simple as their filing system.

So pray tell what is going to be the legacy left by the 52 men and women that are currently holding seats in the parliament of Vanuatu?
What possible legacy do the potential and budding new age politicians’ believe they will inflict upon us all?
In other words what do you want to be remembered for? Are we going to hear your name and hope that others will feel the same and re-elect you based on the last 4 years of governance? Have you done enough to cash in on your past success to gain entry to this coveted post that would be bestowed upon you by your peers to represent them in their sovereign State of Vanuatu?
How many of us have read the constitution? Do you fully understand the implications of the constitution and how it affects those around you as well as your own ideals and moral code?
This is most probably the best example of a legacy that is relevant to our day to day needs I can give you.
The Legacy of the “Founding Fathers of Vanuatu’s Independence”. The Constitution.
Whilst it was only 32 years ago it is very clear what they intended for Vanuatu and if you take the time to read the exert I have taken I feel this may help structure your thoughts on what is to be expected from you if you are charged with the responsibility and privilege of representing your constituents whose Basic democratic right it is to vote you in as well as in form those who wish to put you there. Remember it is the people collectively as individuals who own the sovereignty and it is the people that give you the right to exercise their sovereign right for and on behalf of the people.
Please read this exert from the “Constitution of Vanuatu 1980” it should make us all more aware of what is going wrong with our society and framework and what each of us believe needs to be done to make it right
Also note with interest the Basic rights are for all people whom reside in Vanuatu not only indigenous. There is absolutely no wiggle room in this document for racism or unfair treatment based on race color or creed. This document is the foundation of law for Vanuatu which means person or persons who breach the constitution are liable for claims by individuals in a court of law.

This highlights the problems we are all facing with Land Issues and general of our Basic rights over those around us and the subsequent abuse of those rights. It speaks for itself what is required from all of us, it is our guideline to what the foundation was to be to build a better Vanuatu.
(Constitution of Vanuatu 1980)
PART I – Fundamental Rights
5. Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual
(1) The Republic of Vanuatu recognises, that, subject to any restrictions imposed by law on non-citizens, all persons are entitled to the following fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual without discrimination on the grounds of race, place of origin, religious or traditional beliefs, political opinions, language or sex but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and to the legitimate public interest in defense, safety, public order, welfare and health –
(a) life;
(b) liberty;
(c) security of the person;
(d) protection of the law;
(e) freedom from inhuman treatment and forced labour;
(f) freedom of conscience and worship;
(g) freedom of expression;
(h) freedom of assembly and association;
(i) freedom of movement;
(j) protection for the privacy of the home and other property and from unjust deprivation of property;
(k) equal treatment under the law or administrative action, except that no law shall be inconsistent with this sub-paragraph insofar as it makes provision for the special benefit, welfare, protection or advancement of females, children and young persons, members of under-privileged groups or inhabitants of less developed areas.
(2) Protection of the law shall include the following –
(a) everyone charged with an offence shall have a fair hearing, within a reasonable time, by an independent and impartial court and be afforded a lawyer if it is a serious offence;
(b) everyone is presumed innocent until a court establishes his guilt according to law;
(c) everyone charged shall be informed promptly in a language he understands of the offence with which he is being charged;
(d) if an accused does not understand the language to be used in the proceedings he shall be provided with an interpreter throughout the proceedings;
(e) a person shall not be tried in his absence without his consent unless he makes it impossible for the court to proceed in his presence;
(f) no-one shall be convicted in respect of an act or omission which did not constitute an offence known to written or custom law at the time it was committed;
(g) no-one shall be punished with a greater penalty than that which exists at the time of the commission of the offence;
(h) no person who has been pardoned, or tried and convicted or acquitted, shall be tried again for the same offence or any other offence of which he could have been convicted at his trial
6. Enforcement of fundamental rights
(1) Anyone who considers that any of the rights guaranteed to him by the Constitution has been, is being or is likely to be infringed may, independently of any other possible legal remedy, apply to the Supreme Court to enforce that right.
(2) The Supreme Court may make such orders, issue such writs and give such directions, including the payment of compensation, as it considers appropriate to enforce the right.
Now I ask all of you who read this to think carefully about who it is you want to represent your sovereignty as your voice. It is you the individual that has that right too choose whom you see fit to represent you. A parliament is after all a group of individuals be it men or women who are duly elected by the individual citizens of age, of a sovereign state, to represent them and look after what is rightfully theirs… their Sovereignty.
This my readers is Vanuatu’s Legacy from the “Founding Fathers”, what will be your legacy?
Have a great day!

>>The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and are not necessarily those of the Vanuatu Daily Post.