The Speaker of the House, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, addressed independent Member Jone Usamate regarding the treatment of the 26 independent members in relation to Standing Committees. This discussion occurred during a Parliament session last Friday when Usamate raised a point of order, arguing that representation in Standing Committees for the two Opposition blocs – bloc 16 and bloc 9 – should reflect their membership sizes in accordance with Standing Order 114(4).
Usamate emphasized that the Standing Order implies that representation should correspond to a party’s overall representation in Parliament. He clarified that since they are not a political party but rather a bloc, the independent members total 26, and in the Group of 16, they comprise 61.5 percent. He proposed that this percentage should translate into their representation in the Standing Committees.
In response, Ratu Naiqama highlighted that the matter had previously been discussed and sought to clarify the situation for the future. He reminded the members of a letter he had sent where he asked them to choose their status following the decision by the Supervisor of Elections regarding deregistration. Each of the 26 members had chosen to remain independent, and as such, Ratu Naiqama concluded that they cannot be viewed as a political party. He reassured Usamate that efforts would be made to involve independent members effectively in the Standing Committees.