GOA: NEW SPEAKER TAKES OVER, MLAs REGAIN CAMADERIE >From Pamela D'Mello
Panaji, Jun 12: The ruling BJP led coalition scored a point when its nominee for the post of Speaker, Vishwas Satarkar, was elected unopposed to the post for the new Goa state assembly. Elections were held on May 30. All the forty new MLAs were sworn in today by pro tem Speaker Dr Wilfred de Souza inside the opulent hexagonal hall of the panoramically located Vidhan Sabha. After the bitterly fought election which gave a hung assembly -- with the BJP at 17, Congress 16, UGDP-3, MGP-2, NCP-1 and Ind-1 -- legislators retained their camaderie and the mood was one of cooperation. The opposition Congress supported the election of the 37 year old Speaker, a lawyer who started his political career as a student leader in the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. Opposition Congress MLAs said they had accepted the current situation and would play the role of a constructive opposition in the House and outside. The three day budget session which commenced today, will also see the presentation of the state budget on 14 June -- after a delay of three months. Following the abrupt dissolution of the earlier assembly in February, the budget session had been postponed and the state was run by contingency funds -- a subject matter of a on-going high court challenge for constitutional impropriety. Governor Mohammed Fazl will present his address to the new assembly on 13 June. In a break from convention the office of the deputy speaker, normally given to the opposition, will once again likely be occupied by a ruling party member. (Ends) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
