Nauru political crisis still deadlocked
Updated
There is still no end to the political deadlock gripping the parliament of Nauru. For more than two weeks the opposition and government have been fighting for control of the country and the parliament. Nearly a fortnight ago Opposition MP David Adeang was successfully nominated as the speaker of parliament, after government aligned speaker Riddell Akua stood down, to stall a vote of no confidence in President Marcus Stephen. But that move has given the opposition control, and it's trying to stop two government ministers from entering the house.
presenter Campbell Cooney
Speaker: Nauru's parliamentary speaker, and opposition MP David Adeang
COONEY: In the week before last Friday's meeting of Nauru's parliament, the new speaker, Opposition member of parliament, David Adeang, said repeatedly he will be enforcing new laws banning any MP with dual citizenship from entering the house. The new rules were passed during an Easter Saturday sitting of parliament only attended by Opposition members of parliament.
Foreign Minister, Dr Kieren Keke and Commerce Minister, Frederick Pitcher are dual Nauru-Australian citizens and while Mr Adeang's been adamant those ministers would be barred, President Marcus Stephen was just as sure his ministers would be in the house.
So when parliament began at around half-past-two Friday afternoon, by all accounts it was an interesting event.
Here's how speaker, David Adeang described it.
ADEANG: I requested the police to enter the chamber to eject the foreign minister, Kieren Keke and Commerce Minister, Freddy Pitcher from the chamber as a result of the new standing order 24B, the police did enter the chamber and were obstructed by the president himself who is the minister of police and there was a bit of a minor scuffle there in the chamber between the police and the president and in the course of time, the police who had entered the chamber were ordered to vacate the chamber by the police commissioner.
COONEY: For its part, the Nauru Government describes things a little bit differently.
In a statement it says Dr Keke and Mr Pitcher refused to leave the chamber referring the speaker to their constitutional rights.
But the slanging match over parliament continues.
David Adeang again.
ADEANG: I was given a copy of a cabinet order signed the president and which were acted upon by police commissioner, Robert Leman, that police officers would do everything possible, including enter the chamber to ensure that none of the members of parliament would be ejected from the chamber. This of course is contrary to the laws of Nauru. It seems now that we've taken regressive steps in the same step ??? president must given in his government essentially leaving what is practically a parliamentary coup.
COONEY: Radio Australia tried yesterday to contact members of Nauru's government unsuccessfully, but in a statement, it says on Saturday, police made no attempt to enter the chamber and refused to take any action when asked by the speaker to remove the two ministers.
The statement also says police were in the parliament precinct to prevent the speaker from bringing in people of his own choosing, saying that was presumably to try and remove the two ministers.
As well on Saturday, Mr Adeang ordered a ban on the presence in the parliament buildings of anyone other than members of parliament, parliament staff and any person ordered to appear before the house.
Four years ago, David Adeang, Rena Harris and many others contested an election together in opposition to then president Rena Harris.
Now Mr Adeang is fighting a government which has many ministers which less than seven months ago he was together with in a different government and if the Opposition can get the numbers, he'll be a member of a new government led by his one time political foe, Rena Harris.
Nauru's parliament resumes this week, and if anything will be resolved, is only guesswork.
But David Adeang says there is only one way to ensure any resolution to this lates t political upheaval.
ADEANG: Our system of government is not designed to function with nine members of parliament on one side and another nine on the other. One side has to command at least ten in order to put up the speaker, as well as still retaining a little majority on the floor of the House. Now obviously the government led by Marcus Stephen has lost their parliamentary mandate as a result of this before standing down last week on Tuesday.
Now it's quite plain and obvious, that the government has lost its parliamentary mandate has essentially become a defunct government. Common sense will tell you that the president should resign and or, dissolve the House and seek fresh elections.
