Karavaki’s interests of iTaukei motion and Prasad’s sugar petition classed inadmissible

SODELPA MP Semesa Karavaki raised a point of order this morning saying that he is not satisfied with the explanation given for the exclusion of his motion that was supposed to be debated in Parliament today.

Karavaki asked the Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jiko Luveni if his motion can be brought back in a later seating as the debate was being requested on the proper accommodation of the interests of the iTaukei.

Karavaki says the Great Council of Chiefs was carrying out this responsibility, however the GCC is no longer operational and the Fijian Affairs Board has taken over the process of taking care of the interests of the iTaukei.

Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jiko Luveni then told Karavaki that Parliament’s Business Committee had looked at the motion and after deliberations, the Committee found the motion inadmissible.

Karavaki was not satisfied with the response and continued questioning.

Meanwhile, Opposition parliamentarian Professor Biman Prasad also raised a point of order seeking clarification as to why he was not allowed to move a petition that was submitted to the Speaker of Parliament on Tuesday.

Prasad says the response that he received from Dr. Jiko Luveni this morning states that he was not allowed to move a motion for a petition to be referred to the relevant Parliamentary Standing Committee because it had violated Standing Order 37 and also breached section 72 of the Constitution.

He says this petition in relation to the grievances of the sugarcane growers should have been allowed based on the Speaker’s previous rulings.

Dr. Luveni then told Prasad that the subject of his petition was adequately covered in March.