H.E SPRENT DABWIDO INTERVIEW WITH NAURU MEDIA

His Excellency President Sprent Dabwido was interviewed by Nauru Media yesterday on the current political situation and the President said; the opportunity has been placed before the opposition on three separate occasions to move Article 24 and yet they failed. He said; these occasions include Thursday 18, April 2013, Tuesday 23, April 2013 and again on Thursday 25, April 2013, where parliament was convened with all members attending.     

Therefore the President said; before Mr. Scotty resigned from office as Speaker of Parliament on April 18, 2013, he had referred the dissolution advice to parliament as stated under Article 41 (4) of the Constitution of Nauru which states:

“Where the Speaker has, under clause (2.) of this Article, referred the advice of the President to Parliament, and no resolution for the removal from office of the President and Ministers under Article 24 is approved after the date on which the advice was so referred, he shall dissolve Parliament on the seventh day after that date.”

Thus, the President said; this process is done. The Speaker has referred the dissolution notice to parliament and within the seven days period, parliament is unable to adopt a resolution under article 24, to remove the government.

Therefore, from the date of which the dissolution notice is referred to parliament, till the parliamentary sitting on Thursday 2, May 2013, the whole day till midnight, which is the last day of the seven day period, parliament fails to adopt a resolution. Thus, now the whole political drama is over and whatsoever is happening in parliament this week will be unconstitutional. 

In conclusion the President said; the Speaker of Parliament is given till next week to issue the dissolution writ, or else will be challenged in the Supreme Court for the breaching of the Constitution.