Opposition’s parliamentary office budget slashed By Samisoni Pareti Opposition parties cry foul, demand redress Controversy in Fiji’s newly elected parliament with the opposition claiming today that government is attempting to cripple their parliamentary role by reducing the funding of their parliamentary offices. Both the Opposition Leader and Leader of SODELPA Ro Teimumu Kepa and her Opposition senior member and National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad have labelled the move as unconstitutional, unlawful and one that smacked of gross interference on the part of the AG, who also holds the portfolio of Finance Minister in Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s government. Ro Teimumu says Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum seems out of control, while Professor Prasad says the NFP is convening its working committee to discuss “the attempt to stifle our role and for the party to take a decision on this matter of critical importance.” The two party leaders told a press conference in Suva today that the Secretary General of Parliament had directed a change in the way the political party offices would be financed this year. Instead of having their staff recruited as government workers, the three political parties represented in parliament would recruit their own staff and to be funded through a lump sump, based on the allocation of initially F$10,000 per member of parliament. Following objections from SODELPA and NFP, the Parliamentary SG raised this by F$5,000 to F$15,000 per MP. Under this formula, the ruling Fiji First Party will get a budget of F$480,000, SODELPA F$225,000 and the NFP F$45,000 per year. The opposition rejected the change, saying not only was it unconstitutional, but it was also illogical and unpractical. They also said the SG of Parliament was also implementing a directive from the Finance Minister, who is also the AG, when under the constitution the parliament ought to operate independently. “In our view, the Secretary General has compromised the independence, impartiality and honour and dignity of parliament,” said Ro Teimumu. “She has made it subservient to a line Minister, thus undermining the separation of powers between the executive and legislature. “If Mr Sayed-Khaiyum wants to change the provisions of the constitution governing the procedures, conduct and authority of parliament, there is a course open to him. He should employ the legal arrangements for amending the constitution and not make a mockery of the parliamentary process.” This state of affairs the Opposition Leader added is unacceptable. The entire episode is not parliamentary democracy. It is parliamentary dictatorship, she claimed. “We understand and know fully well the basis on which political party offices in parliament are resourced, especially Opposition parties,” added Professor Prasad of the NFP who is also the Opposition’s Shadow Minister of Finance. “Since the start of parliament last October, we have been at the benevolence of SODELPA who have kindly allowed the three MPs and our staff to use the Opposition Leader’s Office facilities. As a parliamentary party, we are entitled to a separate fully equipped office. We were assured by the Secretary General that we would be provided one but that has failed to materialise.” It is obvious the AG is hell-bent to render us as an ineffective parliamentary party, added Professor Prasad. Ends/
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 04:17:05 +0000
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