The National Federation Party is now calling the Speaker and the Secretary General of Parliament to restore the original allocation of Parliamentary resources to the Political parties which the Secretary General had independently allocated to the parties.
Party Leader Dr. Biman Prasad said this was one of the resolutions passed today in the party’s working committee meeting in Nadi.
He said the NFP working committee has rejected outright in what they are claiming as interference by Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in the allocation of Parliamentary resources.
He said they have also rejected the new allocation of parliamentary resources.
While addressing the Party officials today, Prasad stated that they do not have any staff in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the government had issued a statement earlier dismissing claims that Minister for Finance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum directed the Secretary General of Parliament to make the parliamentary party office funding changes.
The government said the new arrangement was implemented by the Secretary General Viniana Namosimalua in the exercise of the powers conferred upon her under the constitution.
It said that it is quite clear from the letters written by Namosimalua to the parties that she decided in her own right that she will be making and implementing the new arrangement for the funding of staffing of parliamentary offices of political parties.
The government said consultations did take place between the Secretary General and the Minister of Finance however, there is nothing unconstitutional or improper about an independent constitutional office consulting with the Minister or the Ministry on budgetary and funding issues before and after the announcement of the National Budget.
The government further stated that the new funding arrangement implemented by the Secretary General is a fair and proportional distribution of funding between the parties in parliament.
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