The new head of the Kiribati Uniting Church has voiced his concern at the passing of the first reading of the death penalty bill.
The Reverend Reirei Kouraabi says many of the MPs belong to his church and to the Catholics and couldn't understand why they have supported the bill.
The Reverend Kouraabi says he expected them to kill the bill.
He says the church cannot support it because it's against the faith.
The Office of the President has invited the Catholic Bishop and Kiribati Uniting Church Moderator to be part of the committee tasked with carrying out community consultation.
Earlier Bishop Paul Mea from the Catholic Church also voiced similar concern at the bill.