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{
    "id": 192526,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/192526/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 329,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Namwamba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 108,
        "legal_name": "Ababu Tawfiq Pius Namwamba",
        "slug": "ababu-namwamba"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It would be a very sad thing if we allow institutions that enjoy prerogative powers to advance impunity and a culture of indolence. We have debated the Budget and the Estimates, some of which have been tabled by the Minister in this Motion. As Members debated these Estimates, the Front Benches were completely empty. Indeed, the Minister came to respond to matters that he had no occasion to listen to. Impunity is not just about trigger-happy cops shooting people dead. Impunity is also abuse of prerogative powers. The Ministry of Finance has repeatedly abused its prerogative powers. It is quite a sad day that because of a hard mentality that pervades Government, where anything proposed by the Government passes because if you are in the Government, then you must pull in the direction of the Government. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is, indeed, a sad day that today we took a step to advance that hard mentality to another level. I hope that the debate that we have had here today will send a message to this Government that the Tenth Parliament intends to take very seriously its role of oversight to ensure accountability in the Government. It is also important that anytime Motions like this come to the Floor, this House should not be thrown into a panic mode. Listening to the Leader of Government Business talking about signals that would be sent out there, it was an attempt to throw this House into a panic mode. That was unnecessary. There would be no better signal to send to the people of this country than for them to know that they now have a House that can stand up to impunity. That is the signal that this House attempted to send out today. While we fully support the Grand Coalition Government deep in our hearts, we want to see it serve and succeed to the full course, as intended in the national accord. We also want the Coalition Government to enjoy and make full use of this good will, and break out of the box of impunity. So, for the record, I oppose this Motion, because it is a measure in the direction of a culture of impunity. I want to challenge the Government to take this opportunity to break out of that hard mentality, and be strong enough to stand up for what is good for the Constitution and the June 25, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1435 institutions of this country and for this land, today and for posterity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}