Current and former members dialogue and share experiences on ways to improve the work of the Fono Ekepule.

A consultation and dialogue on questions, presentation of motions and the work of select committees of the Fono Ekepule was held last week organised by the Office of the Speaker Hima Takelesi.

The two-days consultations and dialogue sessions were for the members of the Fono Ekepule to discuss and share experiences with key resource people such as former speakers, former clerks to assembly and former members including the lawyers from the Crown Law.

According to the brief on the invitation, the aim is to exchange views on the current processes and procedures of the Fono Ekepule and how these can be improved with better defined set of criteria particularly with regards to questions and motions.

In previous years members of parliament had complained that the Speaker had not allowed some of their questions and motions.

Lawyer and former Minister Togia Sioneholo and the government’s Solicitor General Justin Kamupala (pictured with Speaker Takelesi) were two of the key resource people invited to the dialogue with the members of the Fono Ekepule.

The dialogue sessions also discussed the significant changes in the amount of work being done by parliamentary select committees.

There are four select committees working for the Fono Ekepule, the Bills Committee, the Public Accounts committee, the House committee and the Constitution Review committee.

There is also the Commonwealth Parliamentary association (CPA) which looks at inter-country parliamentary issues for the Commonwealth countries.