Speaker rejects Qereqeretabua’s request for parliamentary voting to be done by division

Speaker of Parliament Ratu Epeli Nailatikau overruled the point of order raised by National Federation Party MP Lenora Qereqeretabua for the voting on the Electoral Registration of Voters Amendment Bill to be done by division as the Speaker says he does not know where Qereqeretabua has been all this time and the Business Committee has made its decision on the voting system.

Qereqeretabua had said with the electronic voting system unavailable, votes should be taken by a roll call where the Secretary General asks each Member of Parliament separately how they wish to vote, each member upon being called gives his or her vote by saying “Aye” or “No” or if they wish to abstain from voting.

She says on the completion of the vote, the Secretary General declares the result and records it in the minutes.

The Speaker says the Business Committee has agreed that voting in parliament is to be done by acclamation and unless that is changed by the Business Committee, he cannot do anything about it.

Votes by acclamation is a voice vote.

Ratu Epeli says it is not the job of the Speaker to change the voting system but of the Business Committee.