SOLOMON IS: Speaker - GG powerless to convene.
Updated
The speaker of the Solomon Islands Parliament, Sir Peter Kenilorea says the Governor General does not have the power to call a session of parliament. Sir Peter says that under the Constitution, the Governor General can only convene parliament for a session after a general election.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Sir Peter Kenilorea, speaker of the Solomon Islands Parliament
SIR PETER KENILOREA: Well I suppose the media is full of it now that there's been some extend of mass resignation from the Government and the Government is said to have been without the majority for continuing government, but of course the Prime Minister continues to say and has every right to say so, that he has quota number. There's been some suggestion that perhaps the Governor General should call parliament to convene the parliament to meet so that the issue can be decided and the full parliament which is the right place to decide this issue on in a vote of no confidence. But ofcourse under present written constitution the Governor General does not have that power I'm afraid. This particular issued was confirmed in a high court appeal case in 1999 that the Governor General does not have the power to convene parliament.
SAM SEKE: Are you saying that he does not even have extraordinary power to call parliament?
SIR PETER KENILOREA: No. if the thinking and the language of our constitution reflects the spirit and the thinking of the architect … our constitution's architect, he does not have that power. His power of deliberate judgement does not include convening of parliament.
SAM SEKE: So where does that leave the opposition call for parliament to reconvene, if its not coming from the Governor General? How can parliament be reconvened, if at all to consider whether the Prime Minister has got the numbers to govern.
SIR PETER KENILOREA: Yeah that's a very interesting question because as I said the constitution goes not give the Governor General to convene parliament except convening parliament for a session which is to elect the Government after general election. The only possibility is to wait until the Budget session because the meeting again under the constitution the meeting … parliament must meet to consider the budget for the following year. I'm just speaking as my own personal view of the constitution that the meeting, the parliament must meet to consider to deliberate on the appropriation bill for the following year. So that we are yet to have this year so that is the only possibility that meeting might be held, because we are forced under the constitution to have that particular meeting.
SAM SEKE: So when is the budget meeting sir?
SIR PETER KENILOREA: Well we were previously informed that parliament should meet on the 15th of this month. We have been advised that the date has been postponed. We are yet to be specifically advised of another date so that we can be working on it. So at the moment we don't have a date as yet.
