Parliament's emergency recall needless and unnecessary - Minority

The Minority in Parliament are disappointed that a supposed emergency recall of all 275 MPs failed to do any urgent business over the four day sitting period.

Dominic Nitiwul, Deputy Minority Leader, said the work done during the sitting could have waited until parliament resumes in the second week of October.

The Speaker of Parliament recalled the Members of Parliament to work on Monday to Thursday. The House managed to pass three main agreements. A $24.5 million loan agreement to furnish offices for the MPs in the the Job 600 project. The project has been on the drawing board for 20 years.

Phase Three of a Rural Enterprises Program which runs from 2013 to 2018 was also approved along with another agreement on Communications. The House also waived two tax request by government.

But speaking to Joy News, the Deputy Minority Leader said the work done although useful does not qualify for an emergency recall because there was no deadline on any of the agreements they approved.

He noted "it is very expensive to recall parliament; expensive to the state and expensive to the MP" some of them had to cut short their stay in the U.S and U.K to attend sittings.

He said MPs needed resources to execute projects in their constituencies not an expensive venture such as a so-called emergency recall.

He revealed that the original reason the minority was told was to authorise government to renew a UN license for the purchase of some military aircraft that was expiring.

But chairman of the Finance Committee of parliament James Avedzi rebutted saying the Minority Leader is not in the executive to determine what government deemed urgent or otherwise.

He recounted the importance of Job 600 project and the Rural Enterprise Program.