On Wednesday we collected from the Office of the President the most recent batch of Official Gazettes. Included among these was a Legal Supplement to the Official Gazette dated October 12, 2010 and containing the Forest Act # 6 of 2009.
The Bill for that Act was passed on January 22, 2009 and assented to by the President on October 12, 2010 – 628 days after the passage in the National Assembly. Under the constitution the President has twenty-one days to assent to bills.
Not only does the President continue to show contempt for the country’s constitution which he has taken an oath to uphold, but it seems that he and his Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General are comfortable backdating of the Official Gazette, arguably the country’s most important legal publication.
One must wonder whether such questionable conduct and delay was Vaitarna related or is the result of some persuasion from Norway.