Maravi

NCC unanimous on inclusion of provincial ministers in Cabinet

NCC unanimous on inclusion of provincial ministers in Cabinet
Written by Katwishi Bwalya
Friday, April 17, 2009 2:29:39 PM

THE Executive Committee of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) yesterday resolved that provincial ministers should be part of Cabinet.

During the on-going sittings in Lusaka, the committee resolved to adopt the clause in the Mung'omba draft constitution that allowed provincial ministers to be part of Cabinet.

The members unanimously agreed that Cabinet should comprise the President, the Vice-President, ministers and provincial ministers.

And in an interview shortly after the committee adjourned its sittings of the day, committee chairperson Michael Mabenga said provincial ministers would look after all matters that relate to administration that would normally be done by a minister.

"They would do that on behalf of government at provincial level. So they would be representing Cabinet at provincial level," Mabenga said.

Asked whether the provincial ministers would require their deputies, Mabenga said the question of deputies does not arise.

"That, we haven't talked about," Mabenga said. "There is no question of deputy minister there. We have just said they are going to be provincial ministers. We haven't looked at the question of deputies."

And the committee resolved that an act of Parliament should determine the benefit of the President who dies before completing his term.

On the act of Parliament, Mabenga said: "This means that Parliament does not sit down to make a standing rule. An act of Parliament will have to be put in place for that particular case. It won't be a piece of legislation which will sit in the constitution."

Labels: CABINET, CONSTITUTION, NCC, PROVINCES

posted by MrK @ 1:30 PM