HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1160604,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1160604/?format=api",
"text_counter": 13,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Lusaka",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": "sitting, pursuant to Standing Order No.31 (3) (b), so as to be in line with a nationwide curfew, which was at 7.00 p.m. Further guidelines were issued on 17th April, 2020 to enable Members to participate in legislative business remotely and for use of Roll Call voting, pursuant to Standing Order No.83. On 21st July, 2020, the Senate amended its Standing Orders to provide for virtual sittings, pursuant to the provisions of Article 124(1) of the Constitution and Standing Orders Nos.255 and 257. As a result, virtual/hybrid sittings had legal authority to enable the Senate to continue to exercise its constitutional mandate. Virtual/hybrid sittings enabled the Senate to pass Bills and Motions that were crucial at the time, to contain the spread of the pandemic and that have continued to serve the nation now and in the future. Virtual/hybrid sittings had both pros and cons for both Plenary and Committee sittings. A positive side with respect to Committee meetings is that at all times Committees have been able to obtain a quorum on time to transact business. This has facilitated faster consensus building and arriving at resolutions on matters faster. This has resulted in many Committees clearing a backlog of legislative business that had otherwise stalled due to lack of quorum. Another positive outcome is that engagement with stakeholders has been flexible, owing to the convenience of holding a meeting at any time, attendance from their places of work or stations, and in some cases, from home and limited pressure for Committee rooms. Stakeholders no longer had to travel to Parliament Buildings for meetings. However, whereas virtual or hybrid sittings have had a positive impact for committees, the converse effect of this has been a drastic reduction in the number of Senators attending Plenary sittings both physically and virtually. At the convening of the Senate at every sitting, there is barely quorum, hence, application of Standing Order No.36 is increasingly gaining prominence. On the other hand, for Senators who make the effort to attend Plenary sittings remotely, participation has been distant, unless there is a division. As a consequence, presiding officers have been forced on many occasions to adjourn sittings shortly after convening, not due to lack of legislative business, but due to the absence of Movers of the business. In addition to this, in instances where Movers of legislative business are absent, such business has been dropped from the programme of the Senate business, pursuant to Standing Order No.59 (3). This has further exacerbated the stalling of legislative business before the Senate. Application of Part XXIXA of the Standing Orders is to the extent that a “physical sitting is not possible as the Speaker may, in consultation with the Senate Business Committee, determine”, as required by Standing Order No.251A. Given the aforementioned concerns, the Senate Business Committee (SBC), at its meeting held today, Tuesday, 29th March, 2022, deliberated on this matter and noting that the Parliamentary Service Commission has made tremendous efforts to facilitate a conducive working environment and facilitated vaccination for both Senators and parliamentary staffers, and in view of easing of the nationwide containment measures by the Ministry of Health, due to favourable results in COVID-19 prevalence rates, resolved"
}