By EDDIE OSIFELO
MINISTER of Rural Development, Duddley Kopu has called upon Opposition members to rethink their decision not to support the Bill to defer the life of the 11th Parliament.
About 37 of the 49 Members of Parliament voted for the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2022 in the second reading and third reading, to defer the 11th Parliament to December 2023.
Initially, the term of the 11th Parliament commenced on 15th May 2019 and ends on 19th May 2023.
The passage of the Bill means citizens of Solomon Islands, age 18 years old, will go to Elections around April 2024.
Speaking on the sine die motion in Parliament on Monday, Kopu said in principle, those of you who did not vote to support the Bill to defer the life of the current Parliament, should vacate your seat at the end of this current session and should not be eligible to receive any Constituency Development Fund (CDF), in the fiscal year 2023.
However, Member of Parliament for East Honiara and Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Douglas Ete raised a point of order.
Ete said the issue of the extension of life of Parliament is an individual conviction.
He said there’s going to be a High Court case going on next year, not from the Members of Parliament but from the people
“I think it is not really right,” he said.
Minister Kopu then withdrew the issue and apologized for his observation.
