Opposition protest petition ruling

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Leader of Opposition Sitiveni Rabuka and Opposition member and NFP leader Biman Prasad and SOLDEPA’s Sitiveni Rabuka in this file picture. Picture: RAMA/FT FILE

THE Opposition walked out of Parliament yesterday as an expression of disappointment against Speaker Ratu Epeli Nailatikau’s decision to refuse a petition they brought to the House from the tikina Nasigatoka.

At a press conference immediately after the walkout, Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka said they would write to Ratu Epeli and await his response before making a decision to return to Parliament.

“We cannot say much more, apart from the fact that the ruling was not in accordance with the Standing Orders quoted,” Mr Rabuka said.

“So we are going to be writing to the Speaker for clarifications on that point and our stand on the extra points he made during the ruling.

“There’s not much more we can say at this time, we exercised our right to present our views and we were not happy with the ruling, the honourable thing to do is to walk out of the chambers.”

National Federation Party leader Prof Biman Prasad said his team joined SODELPA’s action because they believed the concerns of the Sigatoka people needed to be heard.

“We share their concerns and obviously a walkout of Parliament is a way to show disappointment and that’s an acceptable way to do that,” he said.

“It happens in most parliaments. As the Honourable Leader of the Opposition said, we will be writing to the Speaker on this issue.”

Mr Rabuka said the Opposition would not return to Parliament until they received word from Ratu Epeli.

Prof Prasad also said they had not discussed when they would return to the House.

The petition from the tikina Nasigatoka, who are against a plan to mine magnetite at the Sigatoka River mouth, was brought by Opposition MP Viliame Gavoka.

Mr Gavoka said the petition called on Parliament to refer the Standing Committee on Natural Resources to conduct a holistic inquiry into “the planned mining of the Sigatoka River mouth with the view to protect the interests and wellbeing of the people of the tikina Nasigatoka and surrounding communities”.

Ratu Epeli said for any petition brought to Parliament, the onus was on him to ensure that the action sought lay within the powers of Parliament, as stipulated in Standing Order 37 clause (2)(b).

The Speaker said the petition could not be tabled in Parliament because it sought action which “was not within the powers of Parliament to take”.

“The activities of a non-State or private entity do not fall within the ambit of Parliament’s responsibility,” Ratu Epeli said.

“Parliament is responsible for the enactment of laws and scrutinising government administration.”

Mr Gavoka said the petitioners had elected their members into Parliament to speak on issues which were of great importance to them.

“That is the reason they have written and we know that in other jurisdictions, petitions can be raised to conduct inquiries into matters of public interest,” Mr Gavoka said.

“This is of huge concern to the people of Sigatoka. They have been writing to the executive, to the Prime Minister, a thousand have written to the Prime Minister, 900 have signed this petition, they need to be heard, Honourable Speaker.”

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