Parliament to proceed with election of speaker, PM

By HELEN TARAWA
PARLIAMENT will proceed today with the election of the speaker and prime minister, and the swearing-in of the elected parliamentarians, acting deputy Clerk Basil Kambuliagen says.
He said elected members of parliament whose writs had not been returned would be sworn in later, as the Supreme Court had made a decision on that.
“There is no deadline. Let the process continue until it ends,” he said.
“Whatever numbers come in after today, the speaker of parliament will swear them in.”
Electoral Commissioner Patilias Gamato had returned 105 writs by close of business yesterday.
Kambuliagen said today’s proceedings would start around 9.30am.
After prayers, Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia will hand the Commission from governor-general Sir Bob Dadae to the Sheriff. He passes it to the Clerk who reads it.
The Clerk will then lay on the table the return of writs for the national election.
He will then inform members to stand in their places and make their declarations before Sir Salamo. They will also sign their declarations.
The proceedings for the election of speaker will follow.
This will be followed by the presentation of the speaker to the Governor-General at Government House.
He then returns to parliament and the session resumes with the election of the prime minister.
The prime minister-elect will then proceed to Government House to be sworn in.
He then returns to parliament and the session resumes. The speaker then adjourns parliament.
Kambuliagen said the parliament session today would be restricted to invited guests including department heads, heads of foreign missions and the media.