24 May 2004

Nauru government MP says opposition legislation will be cancelled

3:14 pm on 24 May 2004

A government minister in Nauru says attempts by the opposition to pass legislation will be made null and void.

The minister for island develpment and industry, Remy Namaduk, says the opposition had no qourum, or sufficient numbers, when it passed legislation in the absence of some government MPs.

Mr Namaduk says once government ministers return from Melbourne where they are trying to put together a refinancing deal on the country's debts, they will get rid of what's been passed.

"We'll just go back and cancel it all. We'll just pass a motion that all the previous legislation, or so-called legislation, are null and void because there's no quorum. There are mechanisms in place, how to conduct parliament. The constitution covers a lot of the grounds that allows for credibility of parliament. What these guys are doing is making a mockery of the parliamentary system."

Remy Namaduk.

Nauru's parliament remains deadlocked with 9 MPs on either side of the 18 member house.