Swains Island Representative Su’a Alex Jennings says he has not been notified of the House decision to ban him from returning to the House indefinitely.
He believes he did not act out of line when he stood up during Wednesday’s session to make a point of order. He told KHJ News, “I was trying to tell the Speaker that the constitution was being violated when Swains is not allowed to vote, even though the amendments to the constitution granting that right was approved on January 16.”
House Speaker Savali Talavou Ale has told KHJ News that Jennings has to apologize to the House for his behavior on Wednesday.
Jennings ignored the speaker’s order to sit down when he stood up to speak about the constitutional amendments, while the House was going through the daily calendar. The Speaker had the Sgt. at Arms remove Jennings, and he is reported to have torn his shirt and kept yelling, “To protect the constitution, our rights.”
Asked why he tore his shirt, Jennings said he wanted to show the House the scars from a heart operations, to indicate that he is suffering health problems fighting for the rights of the people of Swains.
Asked if he would apologize, Jennings said he would, but, as of Thursday, he had not been informed of the decision to ban him from returning to the House indefinitely,
During the House session on Thursday, Vice Speaker Fetui Fetu asked that the House meet after Friday’s session to discuss the incident with Jennings.
But the Speaker said the decision was already made not to allow Jennings back in the House until he goes through the proper process. KHJ News asked Savali what that process is. He said Jennings has to make an apology to the House. He said he doesn’t intend to prolong Jennings’ absence from the House sessions, but feels the faipule should learn a lesson.
Asked if Jennings has been notified of the House decision, the Speaker said Jennings already knows and he didn’t think it was necessary to give him an official notice.
