Maravi

NCC rejects proposal for appointment of ministers outside Parliament

NCC rejects proposal for appointment of ministers outside Parliament
Written by Allan Mulenga and Katwishi Bwalya
Sunday, February 08, 2009 7:45:17 PM

THE executive committee of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) on Friday rejected a proposal from the draft constitution that allows the Republican President to appoint ministers outside Parliament.And the legislative committee of the NCC has adopted a clause for the formation of a Parliamentary Service Commission.

During the ongoing committee sittings last Friday, after a heateddebate members failed to reach consensus on whether to delete or retain clause 147 of the draft constitution which stipulated that ministers be appointed from outside Parliament.

The deadlock prompted committee chairperson Michael Mabenga to refer the clause to a vote.Supporting the clause, UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma argued that parliamentarians appointed as ministers spend little time in their respective constituencies, hence the need to relieve them of other duties.

"Many people have accused parliament to be a rubber stamp and therefore appointing members of parliament as ministers does not put in place the system of checks and balances. It would be a good idea for me if the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature are separated and that no minister is appointed as an executive," Kakoma said.

Kakoma was supported by commissioner Elizabeth Nyambe who observed that parliamentarians appointed as ministers lacked expertise in managing certain ministries.

"Members of parliament appointed as ministers lack professionalism in running ministries. We need qualified people from outside Parliament to run ministries," Nyambe submitted.

But presidential affairs minister Gabriel Namulambe argued that members of parliament understood government policies and that the Republican President should appoint ministers from the National Assembly, as well as from outside.

"MPs understand well what the needs of the electorate are. MPs will be better placed to know about what policies are applicable. The way I know Zambian politics is that you need to be an MP if your policies are to pass," Namulambe said.

Namulambe was supported by Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe who feared that members of parliament appointed from outside Parliament would not be accountable to the people."

We have a list of qualified people who want to come to leadership but they are so scared to face the people. My fear is that if we subject non-accountable people to the running of ministries, it will be absolutely dangerous to the nation," Munkombwe said.

And last Thursday, members of the legislative committee agreed that there was need for the formation of the Parliamentary Service Commission to look into salaries and other emoluments of parliamentarians and supporting staff of the National Assembly.Commissioner Bishop Kalumbingu submitted that there was need to correct a notion among members of the public that members of parliament got a lot of money.

"People think that MPs get a lot of money but with the coming up of the commission, people should know the truth that MPs don't get as much as members of the public perceive them to get," Kalumbingu said.Committee chairperson Mutale Nalumango said there was a minimal difference on salaries between members of parliament and ministers.

"I think that is why they [MPs] were even calling for responsibility allowances," Nalumango said.The committee also rejected a clause that would compel the National Assembly to censure a minister.During its sitting last Wednesday, the committee resolved not to adopt clause 188 which gave powers to the National Assembly that it may censure a minister by resolution supported by a two thirds of the votes of all members of the National Assembly in accordance with this article.

Members argued that powers to discipline an erring minister should be left to the appointing authority.Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga said the clause was very dangerous and should not be adopted."I have already served as a minister and I have no interests to protect, but since the President appoints the minister, he should punish the ministers himself because he is the appointing authority," he said.

Mwaanga said ministers should be protected from unnecessary punishment from the National Assembly.The clause gave the erring minister, who is the subject of the petition entitlement, to be heard in his defence during debate of a motion.Clause (188) 6 allowed the president to take appropriate action against an erring minister unless he resigned after a vote of censure had been passed by the National Assembly.

However, the members of the committee agreed to reject the clause.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, NCC

posted by MrK @ 7:43 PM