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{
    "id": 105270,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/105270/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 155,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Order, hon. Members! Indeed, as I intimated earlier, I was on notice that the Member for Chepalungu would want to rise on this point of order and as far as the House is concerned, and I speak for the House, the position is very clear. The Office of the Prime Minister is clearly provided for under the Constitution as amended in the year 2008. Those of you who may want to look at the Constitution, I think they will find those provisions in Section 15 (a) of the Constitution as amended. The Office of the Prime Minister is then conferred with powers as provided for under the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, which the Constitution expressly provides must be read as part of the Constitution. Among other things, the objective and intention of the provisions of the Constitution as well as the Act and as a matter of fact, the Standing Orders are clear that the Prime Minister is one of the Ministers in the Government and has certain constitutional functions vested in his office, and that the Prime Minister, if you read Section 4 (1) of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act, shall have authority to co-ordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the Government including those of Ministries and that he shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the President or under any other written law. Under Section 2 of our Standing Orders, there is a provision with respect to interpretation. It provides for the meaning of Minister as at page 2. “Minister” means the President, the Vice- President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and so on.” So that if you take all those provisions together, I find no room and indeed there is no room to categorise the Government in two parts. There is one Government with one President, one Prime Minister exercising their functions as specifically provided for in the Constitution, the National Accord and Reconciliation Act and indeed the Standing Orders. In a nutshell, the Prime Minister can respond to Questions or matters pertaining to the performance of Government whether they relate to policy, supervision, co-ordination or general overall functioning or performance of the Government. That ought to be clear. Let us avoid getting into areas that may otherwise be mediocre. There is no need for it. I think that matter is clear."
}