Press Statement
The Speaker Hon. Dr Jiko Luveni makes the following statement in response to a letter by Mr Frank Eggers in Wednesday’s (26th April) Fiji Times, Letters to the Editor entitled “Drug Shortage”.
The urgent oral question was submitted by Hon. Professor Biman Prasad on Monday, 24th April, 2017 and not Tuesday, 25th April, 2017.
This was ruled not urgent by Hon. Speaker because the subject matter is not new and it did not satisfy the requirements of the latter part of Standing Orders 43 Clause 1”… the question must be of an urgent character and relates to a matter of public importance”.
The subject matter has been raised in Parliament before and addressed by the Hon. Minister. Urgent oral questions are only considered if the subject matter prior to the days it was reported caused an event which was an immediate threat to the security and safety of the public.
The question could have easily been submitted in the normal parliament process as an oral question as allowed in the Standing Orders of the Parliament of the Republic of Fiji.
