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"id": 1017411,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. Poghisio",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
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"legal_name": "Samuel Losuron Poghisio",
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"content": "progressively, as has been argued. However, it does not necessarily mean that Parliament is against this move. We know how many efforts have been made by Parliament to reach that particular threshold. I do not know why the Chief Justice had to be the one to give this advice to the President. His term is coming to an end, and should have given this chance to the next Chief Justice to weigh in on this matter, with a new clear vision, insights and way of looking at things, after the referendum. This would have been a much better way to handle it. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do not know how much effort the Chief Justice has taken to consider that it is not just necessarily being a stickler of the letter of the law that is more important, but also the spirit of the law. Look at the country right now. If this, for example, were to be taken into consideration as an advice and action is taken, God forbid, look at the consequences and the chaos that this would throw the country into; just looking at the law itself without considering the spirit and the practicality of it. It has been argued here by our lawyers and Senior Counsel, who spoke earlier. He has reminded us that the Chief Justice could have been advised better on this matter. However, now it is in the hands of the President and the Executive. We know that they have decided to appeal against it. Also the Senate and so religiously, the Parliament Service Commission, has also decided to appeal against it. We will wait and see. However, we think that in determining some of these decisions, like this advice, the Chief Justice should have decided to skip this one and allow a new Chief Justice to weigh in. This is so that he can look at the totality of the situation in our country. As we are looking at it, we were not even thinking about talking about the Chief Justice in his person as Justice Maraga. However, that office is so endowed with a lot of special advice and advisors. He is so endowed with specialists in maters law and Constitution. There are many who read differently. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, our excitement about the Two-Thirds Gender Rule is as good for the men as it is for the women in this country. It is just that the practicality of it is not there. We just cannot practically bring ourselves within the time limits that we have now to make it possible, unless, of course, we want to take the country into a direction where we force ourselves into these matters. Progressively, it also prepares the women and gives them opportunity. Even if you look at the statistics, there are more women than men in terms of population. However, even if you look at the statistics of that gender rule in the world, there are very few countries that can attain this given the time. That is including great democracies that we have been told here, including the United States, United Kingdom and other places. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I just wanted us to handle this matter as has been handled by just going to court against it and making sure that Justice Maraga does not get through with his advice; that the President does not allow that to happen because it is going to affect the whole country. Can you imagine a few months or even more than a year, preparing for an election and then another general election? Look at even the timing itself of this advice. Even if we were to say now that we go home – we are not afraid to go home - some of us will come back and some will not, but what happens to the country? What happens to the economy of this country? Can you imagine that we would be thrown into a chaotic situation, with the Coronavirus (COVID- The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}