Entry Instance

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{
    "id": 1451412,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1451412/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 24,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Members at the back, take the nearest seats. This will be a bit long. In the Memorandum, His Excellency the President expressed reservations on the contents of the Bill in its entirety and recommended the deletion of all the clauses of the Bill. In making the recommendations, the President noted the widespread expression of dissatisfaction by the public on the contents of the Bill. Therefore, the proposed deletion of all the provisions of the Bill will accord with its general rejection by the public. Standing Order 42(2) provides that if a message is received from the President at a time when the House is not in Session, the Hon. Speaker shall forthwith cause the message to be transmitted to every Member and report the message to the House on the day the House next sits. Consequently, in keeping with the provisions of Standing Order 42(2), on 27th June 2024, I notified all Members of the Message from the President and referred the Memorandum from the President to the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning for expeditious consideration. Hon. Members, following the submission of the Memorandum, my Office received several inquiries from Members of Parliament and the general public regarding the fate of the Bill and the manner of bringing the fiscal deficit arising from its rejection. Various misleading opinions have also been advanced on the fate of the Bill following its referral back to the House. Given the gravity and import of the matter, I issued an explainer with a view to creating clarity and understanding of both procedural and legal tenets relating to the referral. One of the primary concerns then was whether the President can propose the deletion of all operative clauses in a Bill or, indeed, the entire Bill. At the outset, I wish to clarify that the President’s Memorandum recommending rejection of the entire Bill, though significant, was neither exceptional in our legislative history nor new to this August House. Members may recall that on 2nd May 2024, I conveyed a Message from the President relating to the referral of the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, (National Assembly Bill, No. 56 of 2022), back to the House for reconsideration. In the Memorandum, the President expressed reservations on Clause 2 of the Bill, which was the operative provision in the Bill and further recommended its deletion. This essentially constituted a rejection of the whole Bill."
}