PARLIAMENT HOLDS FIRST MEETING TODAY

Inside the Solomon Islands National Parliament. Photo: Courtesy of S.I Parliament.

Solomon Islands Parliament will hold its first meeting this year today.

Members of Parliament who have been in their rural constituencies since the Christmas and New Year break are now in Honiara ahead of the meeting.

Although the order of business has still to be released, Parliamentary House Committee has started putting together what will be tabled before Parliament for discussion.

But a reliable source from Parliament says high on the order of business are the Supplementary Appropriation Bill and the Political Parties Integrity Bill 2014.

Our source says both bills are important because there are outstanding claims the NCRA Government needs money to be appropriated to address them and the 2014 National Elections later this year will likely be heavily contested on political party lines.

The current Parliament has members who represent nine political parties and the independents.