Nauru Budget Crisis Dissolves Parliament (again)
All Your Constitutional Crises Are Belong To Us
from The Weekend Australian

A STATE of emergency has been declared in the tiny Pacific republic of Nauru after President Ludwig Scotty dissolved parliament and called a snap election.

Announcing the dissolution on national television, Mr Scotty said he had been forced to end the ongoing deadlock over the cash-strapped nation's budget.

His actions follow a series of parliamentary deadlocks this year in the 18-seat house, which most recently was split 8-8 following the suspension of Health Minister Kieran Keke, preventing passage of the reformist budget.

However Speaker Russell Kun, who held the casting vote in the now-dissolved house, claimed yesterday that the President's actions were unconstitutional.

"Declaring a state of emergency is one thing, that's a power vested in the President under the constitution, but at the same time he made the declaration he's also dissolved the house, which is absurd," he told AAP.

Earlier this week, Mr Kun, a close ally of Rene Harris, the former president ousted in a vote of no confidence earlier this year, used his casting vote to pass a resolution by the Opposition suspending Mr Keke from parliament because he holds dual Australian and Nauruan citizenship.

Mr Kun said the Opposition would be challenging the President's actions in the Supreme Court. "It's incredible. It (Nauru) has been single handedly taken over by one person ... whatever happened to the separation of powers?" he told reporters yesterday after being ordered to vacate his office.

Mr Scotty, who only took office in June this year, has set October 22 for the snap poll. Nauru's previous elections were held only 18 months ago but there have been three changes of government since then.

posted by prof_booty | 01:27 PM