POLITICAL Parties that formed the Democratic Coalition for Change (DCC) Government are questioning the action of the Speaker of the National Parliament to approve the Motion of No Confidence that is set for this Friday.
With that, the cause of action taken by the parties in light of the recent motion of no confidence was the lodging of a court case before the High Court yesterday in contradiction of the Political Parties Integrity Act (PPIA) that was passed late last year.
The group is being led by the Secretary to the United Democratic Party (UDP) Barnabas Henson, Secretary to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Charles Ashley, President of the People’s Alliance Party (PAP) Sir Nathaniel Waena, and the Vice President of the Kadere Party Peter Boyers.
“The case basically puts a question for the court to answer based on the decision that the speaker of National Parliament made in accepting the motion of no confidence that the leader of opposition has put forward on Thursday last week.
“The process of issuing the motion itself is processed under standing orders of the national parliament. But what we are more concerned about is the decision of the speaker to accept the motion, where he didn’t conduct a due diligence to know very well the numbers that support the motion are those that crossed over from the government.
“The speaker did not even make an attempt to question the members of parliament weather they have resigned from their political parties or if their parties have withdrawn from the coalition so we want to put the question before the court,” the Secretary to UDP Barnabas Henson said.
Mr Henson said that he can confirm, that from the four parties that forms the DCC government, none of those that have resigned has written resignation letters to their parties before moving to the other side of the house.
“This is a very important issue that has to be taken to our courts.
“Under administrative law, any decision from a body authority can be questioned in the High Court that is why the political parties are taking this matter to the court. We are questioning the speaker’s decision and we say that it is wrong.
“So if the High Court agrees with us the political parties, then it will quash the motion of no confidence that is being scheduled for this Friday. We have also asked in the court case that the speaker returns the motion to the leader of opposition if the decision comes our way,” the secretary of the PPP Charles Ashley said.
Meanwhile, the political parties are still waiting for the High Court to decide on a date for the hearing of the case and the latest will be heard this morning or later on during the day.
By RONALD TOITO’ONA
