[pima.nius] COOKS PRIME MINISTER KEEPS LID ON PARLIAMENT

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai'i COOKS PRIME MINISTER KEEPS LID ON PARLIAMENT Marurai side-steps ouster by keeping lawmakers in recess By Helen Greig RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, July 20, 2010) - Any chance of Parliament sitting this week was lost last Friday, but it is understood Prime Minister Jim Marurai may still call Parliament before the end of the month. It seems fear of a vote of no confidence being moved against Marurai may be the reason he has held off on giving the seven day notice of a sitting. The Democratic Party is still reportedly divided over the issue of Marurai's leadership in Parliament. Speculation is rife in the Demo camp that former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate and his faction of supporters in the Demo caucus have had talks with Cook Islands Party MP Norman George about numbers needed to vote Marurai out of power. Sir Terepai was sacked from cabinet last December following details of the multi-million dollar Toagate scandal and out of court settlement being released. The former Finance Minister then gathered support to remove the prime ministership from the man who dismissed him. Marurai's sacking of Sir Terepai led to the resignation of three of his cabinet ministers – Ngamau Munokoa, Tangata Vavia and Kete Ioane. When the PM replaced the ministers, the then party president Makiuti Tongia issued ultimatums that they must resign or be booted from the party. Even after the party conference and the election of a new executive, cabinet is still wary of Sir Terepai's continued vendetta. It is understood the motion for a vote of no confidence in the PM can only be made by a minister. Meanwhile, the annual Budget must be tabled in Parliament by July 31 according to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management Act. Last week Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen indicated he was hoping Parliament would sit this month to avoid having to put in place emergency measures to allow government to access up to three month's worth of last year's Budget funds. Cook Islands News: http://www.cinews.co.ck/index.htm Copyright © 2010 Cook Islands News. All Rights Reserved

Go back to Pacific Islands Report: Graphics or Text Only.

--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------
The pima.nius googlegroup is a facility for discussion and distributing information. Content sent by this googlegroup are forwarded from various networks and media publications.
 
DISCLAIMER: These emails are unedited and discussions made through this googlegroup are unmoderated. Announcements made through this googlegroup do not constitute endorsement for the organisations, individuals or opinions featured. Please check the integrity of organisations and individuals before exchanging personal information with them.
 
- - - - - - - - -
comment here:
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius/topics?hl=en
 
send an email comment here:
pima-nius@googlegroups.com
 
unsubscribe:
pima-nius+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
 
more options
http://groups.google.com/group/pima-nius?hl=en?hl=en
 
- - - - - - - - -