Maravi

Speaker threatens to wind up debate on 2011 budget

Speaker threatens to wind up debate on 2011 budget
By Ernest Chanda
Fri 15 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa has threatened to order finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane to wind up the motion on the 2011 budget if more members of parliament do not debate.

Speaker Mwanamwambwa issued the warning on Tuesday upon noticing that no other parliamentarian was willing to debate after the only two debaters, Lombe Mulenga and Levy Ngoma for Kwacha and Sinda respectively, concluded their debates.
Upon noticing that no one indicated to debate, Speaker Mwanamwambwa told members of parliament that they had failed again, barely two weeks after issuing a similar warning.

“You are failing again, and yet again I watched some of you on television. I watched you on Friday, on Saturday, on Sunday and yesterday, Monday. I heard you on radio, I saw your interviews in the papers on the budget. What has happened to the data that you provided out there?” Speaker Mwanamwambwa asked.

“I'm asking the honourable minister of finance to wind up the motion tomorrow if what I have seen here will continue. We will find something else to do. So, minister be ready to wind up.”

Speaker Mwanamwambwa also asked the Executive to go out and correct what he called distortions from parliamentarians who commented on the 2011 budget through the media.
He wondered why parliamentarians feared to debate in the House and yet they found it safe to give their views outside.

“Do you fear that when you debate here your data will be diluted by the Executive? No you are not safe even there. In fact, Executive, go out there and collect the data. Some of the information they gave without research were distortions. So, I'm asking the Executive to go out there and correct the distortions,” said Speaker Mwanamwambwa.

Labels: 2011 BUDGET, AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE

posted by MrK @ 6:41 AM