the goan I network
PANAJI
Goa legislative assembly Speaker, Pramod Sawant, on Thursday drew flak from the Congress for his decision to himself junk the notice served by 16 legislators of the Opposition party to unseat him.
Saying that both conditions required to move a no-confidence motion were fulfilled, the Congress termed Sawant’s decision ‘unlawful’.
Explaining that notice for a no-confidence against Speaker could be filed even by one MLA, Congress spokesperson and former union Law Minister Ramakant Khalap said: “We fulfilled that condition since we had 16 signatures.”
Khalap addressed a news conference in the presence of Opposition Leader Chandrakant Kavlekar, GPCC President, Girish Chodankar and Tivim MLA Nilkant Halarnkar.
The second condition, he said, was that notice of the motion had to served a minimum of 14 days before an Assembly Session is convened, Khalap said, adding that no where in the rules of procedure and conduct of business of the legislature is it specified that notice cannot be served more than 14 days from the date the House is convened.
“The law prescribes no time period. This means we could have filed the motion 30 days, 60 days or more before the House is summoned,” Khalap said, reiterating that the 14 day rule which the Speaker claimed the Congress was breaking, did not hold good.
Khalap stressed the Speaker could have taken up the motion any time that the House will be summoned, which Constitutionally has to be not later than Feb 3, 2019.
“The illegal rejection of the no-confidence motion against him is enough reason for us to move a fresh no-confidence motion against the Speaker,” Khalap quipped.
Khalap said Sawant’s decision was “unprecedented” and violates convention of recusing due to conflict of interest.
The matter should have been referred to Business Advisory Committee,” he said.
Till Thursday afternoon, Congress had not received any official intimation from the office of the Speaker or the Legislature Secretary that the notice of no-confidence motion against the Speaker was rejected.
The issue has been sent to AG. The Congress is meanwhile considering filing another no-confidence motion against the Speaker.
CONGRESS MAKES A CASE
Notice for a no-confidence motion against Speaker can be filed even by one MLA
Khalap says Congress fulfilled that condition since we had 16 signatures
Rules don’t specify that notice cannot be served more than 14 days from the date the House is convened
Speaker could have taken up the motion any time that the House will be summoned
Illegal rejection of no-confidence motion is enough reason to move fresh no-confidence motion
Sawant’s decision “unprecedented” and violates the convention of recusing due to conflict of interest
Matter should have been referred to the Business Advisory Committee
