By ISAAC NICHOLAS
A DEFIANT National Parliament Clerk Don Pandan has refused to leave his post and has questioned Speaker Jeffrey Nape’s authority to sideline him.
He said he was appointed by the National Executive Council (NEC) and therefore, Mr Nape did not have the powers to sack him.
“Only the NEC had the powers to dismiss or suspend me,” he said.
“I am still in the office, which you have just called and talked with me and I have informed my staff that I am still in charge,” he told The National.
Mr Nape had announced on Monday that he had sidelined Mr Pandan over allegations of mismanagement pending an investigation.
He said he was acting under Section 108 (1) of the Constitution and Sections 2(2) and 5(1) of the Parliamentary Service Act to withdraw the duties and responsibilities of the Clerk of Parliament.
Mr Pandan, however, said Mr Nape had no legal basis to sideline him.
The laws he referred to had nothing to do with my appointment or dismissal, he said.
He said that just as Mr Nape said he was elected by Parliament and only Parliament could remove him, the same process also applied to him.
“I was appointed by the NEC and only NEC can suspend or dismiss me,” he said.
Mr Pandan said he was still in office and still in charge of parliamentary services.