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DAP: NO BOYCOTT OF SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF PARLIAMENT

Malaysiakini

Protest rallies against alleged election fraud will be more effective in urging polls reforms than the act of boycotting the swearing-in ceremonies of MPs on June 24, says Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

The DAP secretary-general reiterated that the party’s 38 MPs will not boycott the session, but will instead use the legislative processes to press for electoral reforms.

This, Lim stressed, the party would do with particular adherence to the democratic principle of “one-person, one-vote, one-value”.

“Boycotting the swearing-in of MPs will not be seen as a ‘symbolic gesture’ or a bold step to protest against the stolen general election when Pakatan Rakyat can make the point more effectively with nationwide peaceful protest rallies,” said Lim in a statement today.

“For those who commit electoral fraud, (they) will not be affected by a mere boycotting of a swearing-in ceremony as compared to the voices of the real people’s movement,” added the Penang chief minister.

Lim was responding to the urging made by PKR Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin (left), who asked Pakatan leaders to consider boycotting the swearing-in ceremony of MPs as a “symbolic gesture”.

Guan Eng: Protest rallies more effective than boycotts

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The Speaker is WRONG, says PKR vice-president N Surendran.

At a press conference in Parliament this morning, Pandikar had jokingly said that he and his deputies too can boycott Pakatan Rakyat MPs who deliberately stay away from the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for June 24.

He had cautioned that the federal constitution provides for automatic disqualification of any MP who does not take the oath of office without good reason, and that they would lose their seat after six months.

Pandikar – the outgoing speaker unless he is re-elected when the new session of Parliament convenes – had also expressed disappointment that elected MPs are even considering to be absent without cause, saying this is an “insult” to Parliament, among other institutions.

Malaysiakini

If Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia was joking about boycotting MPs who boycott the upcoming swearing-in ceremony for elected representatives, then his levity has found no takers.

PKR vice-president N Surendran reminded Pandikar of Standing Order 5(2) which makes it mandatory for the Dewan Rakyat secretary to administer the oath.

In a statement today, Surendran said Pandikar’s ‘threat’ amounts to “an unlawful breach of Standing Orders and the constitution”.

“This is clear from Standing Order 5(2) which states that ‘a member who has not previously taken the oath may present himself at the table’ and the ‘oath shall be administered to him’,” said Surendran.

“Under the Standing Orders, the secretary of the Dewan Rakyat is bound to administer the oath to any MP who has not yet taken the oath. The speaker and the BN have no powers whatsoever to refuse to swear in Pakatan MPs.”

PKR veep: Speaker can’t refuse to swear in MPs

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Malaysiakini

Parliamentarians from the DAP will not boycott the swearing-in ceremony for the elected members of parliament which has been fixed for June 24, the party’s parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said.

Several media today reported the senior parliamentarian as saying that the DAP is not satisfied with the electoral system and it will file election petitions against the election results.

He pointed out that the May 5 general election was not the party’s first and that the DAP has been critical of the unfairness, undemocratic and corrupt elements in the election.

The Gelang Patah MP was responding to the urging from a coalition of NGOs for MPs to boycott the swearing-in ceremony as a protest against the alleged massive electoral fraud and irregularities in the 13th general election.

Other Pakatan MPs including Seremban MP Anthony Loke and Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli were reported to have said that the opposition would boycott the briefing for MPs in Parliament on Tuesday.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has also refused to submit any question for the inaugural sitting of the 13th Parliament and is reported to be mulling the issue of a probable boycott of its opening session.

DAP MPs will not boycott swearing-in, says Kit Siang

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Malaysian Insider

Pakatan MPs to boycott parliamentary briefing in reforms protest

BY CLARA CHOOI
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
June 07, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs are expected to boycott next Tuesday’s parliamentary briefing as a symbolic gesture to show the pact’s seriousness in its push for electoral reforms.

The DAP’s Anthony Loke (picture) confirmed the decision, which was made earlier this week by the PR leadership council, saying the move comes on the back of the string of rallies held nationwide to protest against Barisan Nasional’s (BN) alleged use of fraud to win the just-concluded Election 2013.

He noted that the pact was also planning another mammoth protest in Padang Merbok here next Saturday and attending the briefing would appear to contradict the purpose of the rally.

“The PR leadership council felt that we need to exert as much pressure as we can to get the government to respond to our demands for electoral reform.

“So at the moment, we feel we should not be attending the briefing… on the one hand we are planning a major rally, so on the other hand we should not be attending the briefing,” he said when contacted.

Pakatan MPs to boycott parliamentary briefing in reforms protest

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Malaysiakini

Pakatan Rakyat supremo Anwar Ibrahim is mulling the issue of a probable boycott of the opening session of the 13th Parliament to back widespread suspicions over the legitimacy of the May 5 general election and has refused to submit parliamentary questions.

The deadline for the submission of questions for ministerial replies in the session that opens on June 24 passed on Wednesday.

Permatang Pauh MP Anwar did not submit any questions – a matter that is certain to come in for criticism by detractors from across the aisle.

“Politics is also a matter of perception and the widespread perception is that GE13 was tainted by fraud broad enough for us to mull the option of whether to boycott the opening session,” said Anwar, who is likely to be proposed as parliamentary opposition leader despite his party, PKR, trailing coalition partner DAP in the seats tally.

Anwar mulls boycott of Parliament’s opening session

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