Govt and Opposition to face off in PAC today

We cannot support Biman Prasad to be appointed as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee because he has already passed the judgement that there is widespread abuse in the Auditor General’s Reports without carrying out a thorough review and analysis of the reports.

Those are the words of Government Whip, Semi Koroilavesau as he said that the government side will only support Prasad’s appointment as Chairman if he apologizes to the committee and the Speaker of Parliament, Doctor Jiko Luveni for pre-empting the work of the committee and passing the judgement before any investigation.

Koroilavesau is also concerned that Prasad has written a letter to Doctor Luveni alleging that she is being used to coerce him into apologizing for his public statement.

The letter is signed off by Biman Prasad as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

He said Prasad is also showing great disrespect to the Speaker.

According to the Parliamentary Standing Orders, the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee is elected in the first meeting of the committee.

The committee may only elect an opposition member as Chairperson.

Koroilavesau said based on this, Prasad is not the Chairman at this stage.

The Government Whip said the people of the country should look at the issue dispassionately and see whether it is right for Biman Prasad to make statements that there is widespread abuse.

He also said that the NFP Leader is playing politics.

Meanwhile Biman Prasad said he will not apologize for making the statement.

When questioned by Legend FM News on how he can convince people that he will be an independent Chairperson without pre-judging issues in the Auditor General’s Reports, Prasad maintains that his statement is not a pre-judgement.

Although he has signed off the letter to the Speaker as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee dated 26th November, 2014, Prasad said he never said that he is the Chairman.

We sent questions to the Speaker.

However she has not made any comments.

The first Public Accounts Committee meeting is expected to be held at 9am today.