PART I - INTRODUCTORY

1. Interpretation

In these Standing Orders, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Chairman" in the case of a Committee of the whole House means the Speaker or any person acting as Chairman pursuant to Standing Order 15, and in the case of a Select Committee means the chairman thereof:

"Secretary-General" means the Secretary-General to Parliament or may include the Secretary to the House of Representatives and an acting Secretary when at the Table;

"Constitution" means the Constitution of the Sovereign Democratic Republic of Fiji promulgated on 25th July, 1990;

"House" means the House of Representatives of Fiji;

"Leave" or "leave of the House" or "leave of the Committee" means approval granted.

"Meeting" means any sitting or series of sittings of the House commencing when the House first meets at the beginning of a session or Occurring at subsequent periods during a session and ending when the House is adjourned sine die;

"Member" means a Member of the House of Representatives and includes the Attorney-General when attending a sitting pursuant to section 70 of the Constitution but only so far as the provisions of that section allow;

"Minister" means a Minister appointed pursuant to section 83(3) of the Constitution and includes an Assistant Minister as appointed under section 90(l);

"Paper" means any paper, report, account, return, statement or other document which is ordinarily laid on the Table.

"'President" means the Head of State holding office pursuant to the terms of Part V of the Constitution.

"Public Business" means proceedings on motions of which notices have been given and bills which have been presented to or introduced into the House;

"Session" means the sittings commencing when Parliament first meets after a general election or prorogation or dissolution of Parliament and terminating when Parliament is next thereafter prorogued or dissolved.

"Sitting" means a period during which the House is sitting continuously without adjournment and includes any period during which the House is in Committee.

"Speaker" except where the context otherwise requires, includes the Deputy Speaker or any other Member of the House presiding for the time being pursuant to Standing Order 15 (and in Committee includes the Chairman).

"Sergeant-at-Arms" means Police orderly on duty or his assistants.

"Select Committee" means a Committee appointed by the House of Representatives for a specific purpose only.

"Standing Committee" means a Committee which has been appointed for an on-going purpose.

2. Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance

Except for the purpose of electing a Speaker at the beginning of a new Parliament, no Member shall sit or vote until he has subscribed to the oath or affirmation of allegiance before the House in the following form as prescribed by law:

"I,
do swear [solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm] that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the people and the Republic of Fiji, according to law. So help me God."

["So help me God" to be omitted in affirmation].

3. Quorum during Sittings

  1. The quorum of the House and of a committee of the whole House shall consist of twenty-four Members in addition to the person presiding, pursuant to Section 68(2)(a) of the Constitution.

  2. If the attention of the Speaker is drawn by a Member to the fact that a quorum is not present the Speaker shall order a bell to be sounded by the Secretary to the House for a period of sixty seconds. At the end of another ten minutes if the Speaker is satisfied that a quorum is not present, he shall adjourn the House without putting the question to the House.

  3. If in committee of the whole House the attention of the Chairman is drawn by a Member to the fact that a quorum is not present he shall act as provided in paragraph (2) of this Order save that if, after ten minutes he is satisfied that a quorum is not present, the House shall resume and the Speaker shall count the House. If a quorum is then present, the House shall again resolve itself into Committee but if a quorum is not present the Speaker shall adjourn the House without Putting the question to the House.

  4. If at any sitting of the House or of a committee of the whole House it appears from the number of Members taking part in a division, including those who have abstained from voting, that a quorum is not present, then:

    1. the division shall be invalid;
    2. the business in question shall stand over until the next sitting of the House or of the Committee; and
    3. the procedure prescribed in paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) of this Order shall be followed.

4.Absence of Members

  1. Whenever a Member shall have been absent from two consecutive meetings of the House without having obtained from the Speaker, before the termination of any of those meetings, permission to be or to remain absent from that meeting, the Speaker shall inform the House that the Member in question is deemed to have vacated his seat pursuant to section 43 (1) (c) of the Constitution.

  2. The Secretary-General shall then within two days inform the Supervisor of Elections of the vacancy which exists in the membership of the House.

5.Resignation of Members

  1. A Member wishing to resign his seat shall inform the Speaker accordingly in writing and the seat shall become vacant when the letter is received by the Speaker. On receipt of such letter of resignation, the Speaker shall, within two days, inform the Supervisor of Elections of the vacancy which exists in the membership of the House.

  2. In the event of the Speaker, or Deputy Speaker, wishing to resign his seat the same procedure shall be followed as in paragraph (1) of this Order except that in the case of the Speaker the letter of resignation shall be sent to the Secretary-General.

6.Official Language

  1. The official language of the House shall be English but speeches may also be made in Fijian or Hindustani and may be interpreted from one language into the others simultaneously.

  2. Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of Standing Order 27 the texts of all bills, motions, amendments, questions, petitions, proceedings and other business of the House shall be in the English language.

  3. Notwithstanding anything in this Standing Order no proceedings of the House shall be invalidated, adjourned or delayed by reason only of the fact that no interpretation or translation from one language into one or more of the others has not been provided.

7.Prayer

Upon the Speaker taking the Chair each day, he shall read the following Prayer:

Almighty God, who in Thy wisdom and goodness hast appointed the offices of rulers and Parliaments for the welfare of society and the just Government of Men: We beseech Thee to behold with Thy abundant favour us thy servants, whom Thou hast been pleased to cal I to the performance of important trusts in this Land.

Let Thy blessing descend upon us here assembled, and grant that we may treat and consider all matters that shall come under our deliberation, in so just and faithful a manner as to promote Thy honour and glory, and to advance the peace, prosperity and welfare of this land and of those whose interest Thou hast committed to Our charge.


AMEN.

8. The Mace

  1. The Mace shall be the symbol of the authority of the House entrusted by it to the Speaker.

    (2) The Mace shall lie upon the Table during all Sittings of the House, but when the House is in Committee the Mace shall be removed from the Table and placed under it.

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