SOLOMON IS: Speaker says Parliament to meet December 13
Updated
The speaker of the Solomon Islands Parliament, Sir Peter Kenilorea says his office is going ahead with preparations for parliament to sit this week. This is despite Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's legal challenge to the Governor General's declaration of the planned sitting date on Thursday. The matter is currently before the High Court. Sir Peter says his office has not been notified of Mr Sogavare's media announcement that parliament will convene on the 24th of December.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Sir Peter Kenilorea, Speaker of the Solomon Islands Parliament
KENILOREA: According to the parliament office, the only date that we are working on for meeting purposes is 13th December, which I think Thursday this week.
SEKE: Have you issued notices to members of parliament about that date already?
KENILOREA: Following the declaration by the governor-general, we've done the normal thing by notifying all members of parliament that parliament is intended to meet, are expected to meet on the 13th December, so they all have been notified.
SEKE: There are reports in the local media that prime minister has indicated that parliament is going to meet on December 24th that's Christmas Eve?
KENILOREA: Right, yeah, I've seen that in the local media, but of course for our purpose we go by information on meetings that come to our office, not necessarily in the media.
SEKE: Would that be possible. I mean that's Christmas Eve. Is that possible if parliament were to cut meeting on the 24th at all?
KENILOREA: Well, if that is the date that is decided on according to procedure for arranging of meeting. I suppose parliament has to meet. But as I said, at the moment, the date that we have been officially advised of and we're preparing to meet on is the 13th.
SEKE: And what have you got as far as government business for the meeting is concerned?
KENILOREA: We have not actually received any official notification of government business. Of course we do have a motion of no confidence notified to us in the office. As far as the government business is concerned, we are hopeful that the budget ?? issue will be debated this meeting.
SEKE: On the issue of the notice of the motion of no confidence in the prime minister. Is that ready for tabling?
KENILOREA: Yes, we've been noticed, our office has been noticed of that particular motion and it is therefore qualified for consideration.
SEKE: There are indications that because the budget of course is not ready yet. There would be some kind of resolution sought?
KENILOREA: Yeah, our Constitution provides for that kind of eventuality in that if the government is not able to prepare the budget for consideration for the following year, they can move a resolution for parliament to authorise minister of finance to incur expenditure of the present level. of this year's level of expenditure for the first three months of next year. So I think that may be the possibility this time around, because I have yet to get information as to whether the proper budget has been prepared.
