President calls on Opposition MPs to behave better and put Nauru first
The President has called on Nauru's
opposition members of parliament to put the nation's interests
before their own political ambitions.
President Baron Waqa accused the
Opposition of trying to discredit Nauru internationally for their
own political gain, by taking domestic issues to the foreign
media.
Opposition members have recently
been quoted in the Australian and New Zealand media criticising the
Waqa Government, something the President called a "low act".
"The Opposition has the democratic
right to say what it likes within Nauru, but no member of
parliament should be trashing our country in the foreign press just
to score a political advantage. This must stop," he declared.
Mr Waqa also decried the behaviour
of some opposition members in the parliament, revealing that
unsavoury language was used towards the Minister for Education and
Home Affairs Charmaine Scotty during the last sitting of the
house.
He called the verbal attack against
Nauru's only female MP offensive and inappropriate, particularly
the remark that "women had no place in our parliament".
"They intentionally set out to
bully and intimidate a female MP, which is most unbecoming of men
who are former ministers and even presidents.
"We must understand that in
parliament our behaviour is on show and what we say reflects on our
nation.
"MPs should be setting an example,
and disrespecting women is unacceptable."
The President said the Government
was getting on with the job of taking Nauru forward and ridding the
country of the cronyism and corruption that flourished in the
past.
"It's time for opposition members
to accept the will of the people at the last election and to put
Nauru first," he said.