We suggest the Opposition leaders in Parliament should seriously consider moving a MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE in the Speaker, the Minister of Education, Prime Minister and his FFP government
 |  TIE TO FIJI MILITARY FORCES |
RULING OVERRULED, MR SPEAKER, SIR:
We wonder if the Opposition challenged the Speaker’s ruling before walking out of Parliament? NFP leader Biman Prasad should have reminded Epeli Nailatikau:
“Mr Speaker, it is very easy for you, Sir, to say that the question regarding the deportation of the Ahluwalias' is not of an urgent character or that it does not relate to a matter of public importance but as for me, I was elected into the House by over 12,000 voters and more than half of them have already called or contacted me in the last few days to raise their concerns here in the House. Sir, as you were not elected by the Fijian people to hold that high office, you would obviously not feel the pain or share the same concerns that I have, and I am sure my other colleagues on this other side of the House also share. As to your opinion, Sir, that the matter raised by me does not relate to a matter of public importance, I wish to draw to your attention, Sir, that in the 2020 Annual Budget approved by the House last year, $27.7million dollars was set aside to be paid as a grant to USP last year but sadly this amount, for reasons that are only privy to the MOE, has not been released to USP and is still being withheld in the Finance Ministry. Surely this $27.7 million of Fijian taxpayer’s funds, Mr Spealer, Sir, which is higher than the annual budgets for many Government departments and Fijian embassies, constitutes a serious matter of public importance and of national interest following the enforced deportation of the USP VC. As an elected MP, Sir, I am accountable to the taxpayers of our Nation on how this $27.7 million is being spent by the FijiFirst government. In light, therefore, of this new information, Sir, you may wish to adjourn the House to review your ruling, Sir, which I humbly submit has no legal basis, is unprecedented and an affront to freedom of speech in our Parliament.”
We suggest the Opposition leaders in Parliament should seriously consider moving a MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE in the Speaker, the Minister of Education, Prime Minister and his FFP government
ANOTHER VIEWPOINT ON OPPOSITION WALKOUT:
"All this is a side show, flexing muscle that the Opposition does not have and against a very thick skinned government with no regard for democracy...The Opposition lacks boldness and ideas...The Parliament is a charade now with the help of the Opposition which continues to give life to a Parliament created under a Constitution given to us by the military. Time to think of a more effective strategy, if you have the courAge of your conviction. Stop the charade.
All this walking out is for optics only."
Robin Nair, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Robin Nair "All this is a side show, flexing muscle that the Opposition does not have and against a very thick skinned government with no regard for democracy. It has been 14 years and the Government has been getting more and more brazen by the day, my way or the highway.
The Opposition lacks boldness and bold ideas. They only go through the motions of participating in a Parliament created through an illegitimate Constitution, made legitimate by the Opposition's connivance.
The destruction of SODELPA from within has been a great disappointment to the large numbers of people who supported it, partucularly our indigenous people. SODELPA was on the cusp of power in 2018 despite a dubious electoral system. Where are they now?
As far away from power as FFP wants. Instead of working for the people, who saw the dictatorship thrust upon us, and defeat dictatorship at the ballot box in spite of all the hurdles, SODELPA members went into self indulgence mode and forgot about the country and our people's hopes. Naked lust for power and positions of control and privilege consumed many members of SODELPA.
This has given rise to further cockiness in Government to rule as they wish without the fear of any sanction or accountibility. The Parliament is a charade now with the help of the Opposition which continues to give life to a Parliament created under a Constitution given to us by the military.
Once in a while they fake a hairy chest by walking out but surely returning. NFP also goes through the motions as well, knowing it makes no difference to the regime. Time to think of a more effective strategy, if you have the courage of your conviction. Stop the charade. All this walking out is for optics only.
The Opposition lacks boldness and bold ideas. They only go through the motions of participating in a Parliament created through an illegitimate Constitution, made legitimate by the Opposition's connivance.
The destruction of SODELPA from within has been a great disappointment to the large numbers of people who supported it, partucularly our indigenous people. SODELPA was on the cusp of power in 2018 despite a dubious electoral system. Where are they now?
As far away from power as FFP wants. Instead of working for the people, who saw the dictatorship thrust upon us, and defeat dictatorship at the ballot box in spite of all the hurdles, SODELPA members went into self indulgence mode and forgot about the country and our people's hopes. Naked lust for power and positions of control and privilege consumed many members of SODELPA.
This has given rise to further cockiness in Government to rule as they wish without the fear of any sanction or accountibility. The Parliament is a charade now with the help of the Opposition which continues to give life to a Parliament created under a Constitution given to us by the military.
Once in a while they fake a hairy chest by walking out but surely returning. NFP also goes through the motions as well, knowing it makes no difference to the regime. Time to think of a more effective strategy, if you have the courage of your conviction. Stop the charade. All this walking out is for optics only.
Statement from our NFP General Secretary on why our MP's walked out of Parliament
Today in Parliament NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad tried to ask an urgent question about the deportation of Professor Pal Ahluwalia. The question was:
Can the Prime Minister and Minister for Immigration inform Parliament of the specific breaches of section 13 of the Immigration Act committed by Professor Pal Ahluwalia and his wife Ms Sandra Price?
Under Parliament’s rules (Standing Order 43) a Member of Parliament may ask an urgent question if the question is of urgent character the it relates to a matter of public importance.
The Speaker, however, refused the question. He ruled that it was not urgent and it was not important.
Last week the Fiji First Government, for petty and vengeful reasons and in the dead of night, detained the leader of the South Pacific’s leading regional institution, the University of the South Pacific. It then threw him out of the country a few hours later.
Fiji’s credibility as a leading state in the South Pacific region is at stake. So is the future of USP, where thousands of Fiji students study. USP is an institution which has trained thousands more Fiji citizens over 50 years. Fiji’s shaky reputation for basic human rights has once again been called into question all over the world.
How can the Speaker say that these questions are not urgent or important?
The Speaker said that Parliament must “respect the doctrine of separation of powers.” He did not explain what he meant. Is he saying that Parliament cannot question the Government? But that is one of the main reasons that Parliament exists. Parliament is there to check on and question the actions of the government in power and the way it behaves.
NFP is issuing a public statement because its MPs are not allowed to. Under the Standing Orders of Parliament (No 29A) its MPs may not communicate directly with the people through a press release while Parliament is sitting. Imagine – the representatives of the people may not tell the people about what is happening in their own Parliament!
Fiji’s citizens must understand how their Parliament works while it is controlled by the Fiji First Party. The Speaker’s ruling sends out a clear message: Even the place where the people send their elected representatives – the Parliament – may not question the Fiji First Government.
This is what the Fiji First Party calls “true democracy.” And this is why our MPs walked out today and stayed out of Parliament for the whole day.
Today in Parliament NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad tried to ask an urgent question about the deportation of Professor Pal Ahluwalia. The question was:
Can the Prime Minister and Minister for Immigration inform Parliament of the specific breaches of section 13 of the Immigration Act committed by Professor Pal Ahluwalia and his wife Ms Sandra Price?
Under Parliament’s rules (Standing Order 43) a Member of Parliament may ask an urgent question if the question is of urgent character the it relates to a matter of public importance.
The Speaker, however, refused the question. He ruled that it was not urgent and it was not important.
Last week the Fiji First Government, for petty and vengeful reasons and in the dead of night, detained the leader of the South Pacific’s leading regional institution, the University of the South Pacific. It then threw him out of the country a few hours later.
Fiji’s credibility as a leading state in the South Pacific region is at stake. So is the future of USP, where thousands of Fiji students study. USP is an institution which has trained thousands more Fiji citizens over 50 years. Fiji’s shaky reputation for basic human rights has once again been called into question all over the world.
How can the Speaker say that these questions are not urgent or important?
The Speaker said that Parliament must “respect the doctrine of separation of powers.” He did not explain what he meant. Is he saying that Parliament cannot question the Government? But that is one of the main reasons that Parliament exists. Parliament is there to check on and question the actions of the government in power and the way it behaves.
NFP is issuing a public statement because its MPs are not allowed to. Under the Standing Orders of Parliament (No 29A) its MPs may not communicate directly with the people through a press release while Parliament is sitting. Imagine – the representatives of the people may not tell the people about what is happening in their own Parliament!
Fiji’s citizens must understand how their Parliament works while it is controlled by the Fiji First Party. The Speaker’s ruling sends out a clear message: Even the place where the people send their elected representatives – the Parliament – may not question the Fiji First Government.
This is what the Fiji First Party calls “true democracy.” And this is why our MPs walked out today and stayed out of Parliament for the whole day.
