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"id": 1537668,
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"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
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"legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I say so with a degree of pride that I was a Member of the original bipartisan committee that gave birth to NADCO. I see a few things that stand out, and one I would like to speak to very quickly is the two-thirds gender rule. The two-thirds gender rule has remained a vexing issue since the new Constitution was promulgated. It does not matter that many attempts, I believe up to 13, have been made to achieve the two-thirds gender rule. What matters is why it failed the first time, second time, all the way up to the thirteenth time. Possibly, the kind of public participation that we allow to take place when it comes to this provision is not adequate or could be done in a better manner. Mr. Speaker, Sir, just like the majority of you who are privileged to come from houses where the majority are the female gender, like most men, you are there, you are the only man heading the house, but there is a wife and daughters. You always find that you are crowded. Thus, we are very comfortable with handling issues of women, and we love them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will give it to them. Nonetheless, I want to challenge not the womenfolk, but the people who will benefit from the two-thirds gender rule. I would like them to allow us also to democratise the process of identifying beneficiaries. I mean, that in its current form, it is difficult to know how one nominated Senator or nominated Member of the National Assembly found their way into these two Houses. I have never understood how they managed. I was trying to have a small discussion with my young, Sen. Hezena, on what they did and she told me, ‘go away’. Therefore, I am still waiting for the privilege of hearing from her on how she made it. It is so difficult. I, therefore, propose that under the new structure, women who get nominated should not be nominated by political parties. They should be allowed to undergo a process of election where the voters shall be only women. If we have 16 slots of Senators to vote, then those names should be presented to the public, and then those 16 names should be voted for. The top 16, cross the line and become nominated. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}