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‘Call absent Swapo members back to parliament’


SWAPO chief whip in the National Assembly Hamunyera Hambyuka has acknowledged that the rampant absenteeism of ruling party lawmakers sets a bad precedent and hampers the legislative process.

Hambyuka agreed with opposition lawmakers that the business of the sixth session of the seventh parliament is being badly affected by Swapo lawmakers who relegated their parliamentary duties in favour of the party’s internal politics.

Several Swapo members, including senior ministers like prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, have been notably absent from sessions of the National Assembly since Swapo launched its internal election campaign on 15 September.

This has exacerbated fears that the lack of quorum means parliament may fail to adequately consider bills and motions before it goes into the annual break on 24 November.

“The problem we have is that almost all Swapo MPs, especially the executive, are not here and we have questions. People like the prime minister and deputy prime minister have been absent for a month,” said Henny Seibeb of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) while pointing at empty seats on Swapo benches during Thursday’s parliamentary session.

Seibeb appealed to the speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, to call members of the executive back to parliament.

“Speaker, my appeal to you is that since there are a lot of questions, especially to the prime minister and deputy prime minister, which are important in terms of Article 41, can’t you tell them to come back … so they can respond to questions?”

Rally for Democracy and Progress’ Mike Kavekotora attempted to call a quorum, however, he was overruled by Katjavivi who said there was a working quorum.

“I just want to get the house rules in order since the two-thirds majority party has turned into a two-thirds minority party. I would like to call a quorum,” Kavekotora said.

A parliamentary session can function on a working quorum that requires the presence of 26 voting members.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila and international relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah are currently traversing the country campaigning for the Swapo vice president position, ahead of the party’s elective congress next month.

Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta is also in the race for the same position.

Swapo secretary general Sophia Shaningwa is competing to retain her position against the party’s regional coordinator for Oshikoto, Armas Amukwiyu, who is not an MP.

Swapo lawmakers Lucia Witbooi and Evelyn Nawases-Taeyele are also campaigning for the deputy secretary general position.

They are up against the former environment and tourism minister, Uahekua Herunga, and the party’s regional coordinator in Kavango West, David Hamutenya.

Bradley Tjongarero, a parliamentary researcher at the Institute for Public Policy Research, noted that the absence of the executive members of parliament sets a bad precedent on the importance of the work of the National Assembly.

“The absence of members of parliament in the National Assembly sittings has become a visible issue. During the recent tabling of the midterm budget review for the 2022/23 financial year by the minister of finance, the absence of both the prime minister and the deputy prime minister and issues around a lack of quorum were openly pointed out by the opposition bench,” Tjongarero said.

He said this is particularly concerning because the National Assembly is constituted with the legislative power to pass laws and deliberate on issues of national importance for the betterment of all Namibians.

I AGREE

Hambyuka told The Namibian that absenteeism by Swapo lawmakers has affected the business of the house.

“It is true that the quorum is hampered by the members of the ruling party’s absenteeism. They are not in parliament and my office is working on that. I want to make sure that they have to come back to parliament,” Hambyuka said.

“I am equally concerned by the absenteeism of members, looking at the limited time left before parliament goes into recess. And we have a line-up of bills and motions that need to be approved. And if members are not coming to parliament, we will not be able to approve those bills and motions, because they need to be approved by a quorum. We are talking of 49 members to approve a bill or a motion…”

Hambyuka said his office only granted leave of absence to the aspiring candidates for the top three positions in the party. Hambyuka said he has issued demands to members that “are following the candidates” to come back to parliament this week.

National Assembly spokesperson Raphael Hangula said it is the responsibility of the chief whips of various political parties to ensure their members attend parliament.

“They have the mandate to organise their members in such a way that they attend assembly sittings, committee sittings, as well as other official engagements of the National Assembly. Therefore, the secretariat’s power in terms of ensuring that members attend the session to achieve a quorum is limited,” Hangula told The Namibian in response to queries.

Hangula confirmed the notices of a leave of absence for Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, Nandi-Ndaitwah, Shifeta and Shaningwa were tabled in the National Assembly until further notice in terms of Rule 27 (h) of the Standing Rules and Orders.

Katjavivi also expressed his frustration at members of the executive missing parliament, and hinted at the possibility of delaying the recess.

“I have undertaken that responsibility of actually reminding members whose questions are down to say that these questions must be responded to. We are not going to let them off the hook, the questions are going to be responded to,” said Katjavivi.





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