Tuesday, February 15 2005 17:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Panaji: The disqualification petition against Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues has been posted for final hearing tomorrow (Feb 16, 2005) after the respondent asked for more time to clarify certain facts.

"The final hearing has been posted for tomorrow at 12:00 hrs (IST) as the petitioner presented some new documents today and the respondent's advocate has asked for time to clarify the same with his client. I have, therefore, given them time till tomorrow," Speaker Vishwas Satarkar said in Panaji.

Appearing on behalf of Neri, his lawyer Mahesh Sonak, however, refused to give details of why the Speaker had postponed the final hearing till tomorrow, saying he had been asked not to discuss the merits of the case.

A disqualification petition has been filed against Neri by BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA Sadanand Tanawde, on the grounds that the former had joined the BJP in 2002 and therefore could not be qualified as an independent MLA.

Satarkar, however, declined to comment on whether a decision could be expected tomorrow, but Sonak admitted that "once a case is fixed for final hearing, a decision is usually the next step."