SODELPA members send petition to President for Australian PM to address Parliament

Leader of Opposition Sitiveni Rabuka says they have sent a petition to President Jioji Konrote to convene a special parliamentary session.

In a statement, Rabuka says given the historic bilateral visit of the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to Fiji, SODELPA Members of Parliament presented a petition to the President to convene a special parliamentary session to give the Australian leader the opportunity to address the people of Fiji.

Rabuka says the petition invoked Standing Order 21(3) of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji which states that the President must summon Parliament to meet if it is not in session and he or she receives a request in writing from not less than one‑third of all members requesting that Parliament be summoned to meet to consider without delay a matter of public importance.

The SODELPA Leader says this is in recognition of the importance of the bilateral visit of the Australian Prime Minister to Fiji. He says Australia is an important development partner for Fiji and we share a long history of bilateral cooperation.

Rabuka says it is their humble and candid view that it is important for the Government to provide an update of Fiji‑Australia bilateral relations.

He says it will also give the Opposition parties the opportunity to have bilateral discussions with the Australian Prime Minister on matters of common interest.

The SODELPA Leader says it will also be appropriate that arrangements be made for the Prime Minister of Australia to be given the opportunity to have dialogue and consultation with other key stakeholders in the country vis-à-vis Fiji‑Australia Business Council, trade unions, and other non‑state actors and civil society organisations.

We are currently trying to get a response on the statement released by Rabuka.

However parliament is in session at the moment as the President opened the new session in November last year.