Speaker Alvin Jacklick said he is attempting to establish the independence of the legislative branch of government but is finding that the executive branch won’t recognize him as head of the parliament, despite a legal opinion from the attorney general in his favor.
Sparking the latest turf battle are conflicting organizational charts that have embroiled the attorney general and the parliament on one side and the president’s office and the government Public Service Commission on the other in an argument that is consuming hours of work time as government officials in this western Pacific nation of 55,000 argue the issue.
Since taking over as speaker last October, Jacklick has been at the forefront of reform efforts, but is butting heads with other government leaders. His recent move to eliminate a $16,000 “representation allowance” for members of parliament as a cost-cutting measure in the fiscal year 2011 budget not only didn’t get support from other parliamentarians, they increased the allowance to $20,000 in the final budget approved last week.
As part of a parliament improvement plan, Jacklick recently issued a reform platform calling for stepped up accountability measures, including the establishment of a special prosecutor and legislation requiring full financial disclosure by top government officials. He included a new organizational chart with a few new staff positions.
While doing this, he said Friday he was presented with an earlier parliament organizational chart that listed “His Excellency President Litokwa Tomeing” as the head of the parliament with no mention on the chart of either the speaker or the vice speaker — the cause of the current rift in government. That earlier organizational chart was signed by then-President Tomeing — who was deposed last year by a vote of no confidence — and the three members of the executive branch’s Public Service Commission, which handles hiring and firing for the government.
