20 Oct 2010

Nauru President confident of breakthrough after court challenge thrown out

5:35 pm on 20 October 2010

The Nauru caretaker Government hopes a resolution can be quickly found to a political impasse which's disrupted the island for months.

This follows a Supreme Court ruling in the Government's favour after the Opposition challenged the legality of the removal of the speaker and the imposition of a state of emergency.

The Supreme Court says the constitution allows the president to determine whether a state of emergency of exists, not the court.

President Marcus Stephen says they were delighted with the decision.

He a major impediment to finding a political solution has been removed and he's announced on Nauru TV that his door is always open to the Opposition.

"And I am hoping to get a response from them and that we can sit down and start talking again. Like I said any discussions were put to a halt because of the claims that what we were doing was unconstitutional. So having this out of the way I am hoping that members will approach myself."