Saturday 9 June 2012

Replacing the Oath of Allegence.


Since the election of Leanne Wood to the Leadership of Plaid Cymru . It is clear that it is undemocratic to expect her to make the Oath of Allegiance required of her in order to take her seat.

The Oath is ...

I... swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.

Members who object to swearing the oath are permitted to make a solemn affirmation under the terms of the Oaths Act 1978:
I... do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law.

In Northern Ireland Assembly Members the situation is diffrent Although an oath of allegiance is required of members of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, there is no requirement for members of theNorthern Ireland Assembly to take an oath of allegiance, or any other oath, nor is there any form of voluntary oath prescribed for those who may wish to swear one. However, members are required to sign the Assembly's roll of membership, designate their identity as "Nationalist", "Unionist" or "Other", and take a Pledge of Office. Ministers can be removed from office if the responsibilities of the pledge are not met



Why should Wales be different are Republicans who have supported Violence more deserving than Republicans who have always rejected Violence.. 


Baring that in mind I tried to place a petition on the Welsh Assembly   Website but it kept rejecting it.


But then I thought before I tried again to ask readers of the Blog how they would amend it. So please comment and I'l try to present it again


The Petition Interned to read

That the  current Oath of Allegiance be for Assembly Members taking their seats be replaced with a Pledge of Office as in Northern Ireland to read
 That they promise a) To discharge in good faith all the duties of office;(b)That they are  committed  to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means;(d) to serve all the people of Wales equally, and to act in accordance with the general obligations on government to promote equality and prevent discrimination;(e) to promote the interests of the whole community represented in the Welsh Assembly towards the goal of a shared future;(f) To respect both the Welsh and English Language and recognise both are equally valid in the Assembly and Wales as a whole.(g) to participate fully in the running of the Welsh Assembly(h) to uphold the rule of law based as it is on the fundamental principles of fairness, impartiality and democratic accountability, including support for policing and the courts;(i) to participate with colleagues in the preparation of a programme for government;(j) to operate within the framework of that programme when agreed within the Welsh Assembly Government and endorsed by the Assembly;(k) to support, and to act in accordance with, all decisions of the Welsh Assembly Government and Assembly;(l) to comply with the Ministerial Code of Conduct


Please make your contribution.

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8 comments:

Cibwr said...

How about

I swear and affirm that I will bear true allegiance to the people of Wales and that I will to the best of my abilities strive to serve the interests of all the peoples of Wales.

Welsh not British said...

They should be made to take an oath of allegiance to the people of Wales. We are the only ones that count.

Many AMs would stumble at this hurdle.

maen_tramgwydd said...

The oath sums up what is wrong with the UK. Put privilege at the top of the heap, and you get sh*t on, pardon the expression, Glyn. It's why the UK is in a mess, and Wales is at the bottom of that manure heap.

Cibwr's and Welsh not British's suggestions would mean dismantling the entire corrupt, undemocratic and self-serving social, political and constitutional edifice. Cameron, Clegg, Miliband et al would rather die first.

Wales will always be relatively poor while it remains a colony.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the general thrust of your argument but your proposed oath is too long and you cannot tie individual members to supporting all decisions of the government and assembly, otherwise there would be no role for an opposition!

The commitment made by County Councillors is more straightforward and deos not include a "royal oath."

Unknown said...

It is outrageous that MPs also have to swear loyalty to the queen. The Crown, I could understand as it is held to embody the state in Britain, but it is a personal, to the named queen. That is not acceptable.

mike jenkins said...

I agree totally with the comment made by 'Welsh not British' above. Already Leanne Wood's republican stance has become watered down as a result of all kinds of pressures: from the media and forces within her own party. However, there are other republican AMs, including at laest one who is Labour. As with the six counties (n. Ireland), I see no reason to swear allegiance to an anti-democratic , anachronistic and foreign monarchy which represents all that that is bad about the class system, with its emphasis on power, wealth and privilege at the expense (literally!) of any semblance of meritocracy. Ironically, most of my English friends would agree and want a republic for their country as well.

Anonymous said...

How can an oath be too long?

Are they restricted in length by the laws of physics?..

glynbeddau said...

Cibwr and WNB don't you think that what you are proposing is for an Independent Welsh Parliament (I'm Open to argument
Anonymous 13:29.

This is not an Oath but Pledge of attitude and behaviour an will be signed rather than sworn

Sionnyn

The real problem with the current Oath is not so much as swearing Loyalty to the Head of State although I would find it hard but the reference 2To her Heirs and Successors" which I find really abhorrent.

Please everyone continue with suggestions and alsoadvice on the best way to present an replacement for the current Oath