Disregard 'double standard' NPP – Cletus Avoka

Honourable Cletus Avoka has described the walkout by the NPP Members of Parliament on Thursday as a sign of double standards which does not help with efforts to deepen the nation’s democracy.

“It’s double standards because it is the same President that authorizes the payment of salaries of Members of Parliament, which they [NPP MP’s] also benefit.”

Speaking on Citi FM, Mr. Avoka said there is no justification for the NPP’s boycott.

“If they say that they believe in the rule of law and the constitution, then they should be working in Parliament until the Supreme Court decides otherwise... but they are jumping the gun. What they are doing now is trying to overly influence the Supreme Court.”

“They are trying to twist the hands of members of the Supreme Court that if they [judges] don’t give judgement in their [NPP] favour we are not going to have peace in the country.”

Deputy Minority leader, Dominic-Nitiwul on his part however said: “We have not boycotted Parliament; there is a big difference between boycotting Parliament and staging a walkout.”

“It was one item of Parliament that we decided to walkout and not to participate and that was the delivery by the President.”

“We were in Parliament participating in parliamentary duties. We have not said or done anything that is in variance with our constitutional provisions and the work that we are supposed to do in Parliament,” he added.