Swearing in ceremony

In a statement, the Speaker outlined reasons for the deferment.

He said the Warrant of appointment of the two women is being challenged in court as to the validity, as to whether it was issued at the correct time.

“The Warrant also seems to have been issued prematurely and may be invalid as a petition has been filed by a woman from the by-election and so her results are still not finalised and so the election results are still not finalised as has been directed by the Court of Appeal.”

The speaker, Papali'i Lio Masipau, had banned elected members of the opposition HRPP from attending this week's parliament sessions and has refused to swear them in.

On Thursday, however, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the HRPP saying the speaker is obligated to swear in its elected members.

Papali'i has banned the opposition MPs for what he saw as their continued denial of the legitimacy of the FAST government.

At the beginning of last week the Court ruled the ceremony illegal as the Head of State wasn't present.

But it said parliament must sit by this Monday or it could reconsider the previous swearing in conducted in a tent in parliament grounds after newly elected members were locked out of Parliament.

At the time the Fast Party leader Fiame Naomi Mata'afa described the open air ceremony as a legal option, applying the principle of necessity, because all other avenues were blocked.

This was despite the absence of constitutional authorities and members of the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P) who make up half of the legislative assembly, and after a full daylight crisis at the Malae o Tiafau in Mulinu’u - F.A.S.T party leaders and supporters marched towards the Parliament house to conduct the official swearing in of the 17^th Parliament, only to find out it was locked.

The new head of state will be sworn-in at the temporary Parliament house at Tuanaimato.

RNZI reports he is the holder of the paramount title Tui A'ana Tuimaleali'ifano Va'aleto'a Sualauvi II.

The current head of state, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, told reporters he will address the nation on the swearing-in day.