 FSM Congress News, January 20, 2004PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Congress): January 20, 2004 - Congress met in a brief session this morning and received a bill introduced by Floor Leader Henry C. Asugar, by request. The bill aims to grant amnesty to certain classes of people who are being accused, or yet to be accused, and prosecuted of certain types of crimes against the nation, but not yet convicted. The bill claims that the national government has constitutionally impermissibly singled out certain classes of people for investigation and prosecution based on the exercise of their political right. It also claims that there are other classes of people who are similarly situated, but not investigated and not prosecuted. The bill states that such exercise violates the FSM Constitution and at the same time offends the basic foundation of underlying the culture and tradition of the people of the Federated States of Micronesia. On the bill calendar, Congress passed on 1st Reading a bill that would amend an existing public law to provide new allottee to certain funds appropriated in the same law in the State of Yap. Senator Isaac Figir of the State of Yap introduced a resolution requesting the 13th Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia to hold a congressional session in his State of Yap. Floor Leader Asugar introduced a bill, by request, to allow the Federated Development Authority to continue to manage certain funds received by the FSM under the original compact. |