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    "id": 346285,
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    "content": "the divisions that come with the coalition. If they are being targeted, they go and say: “Oh, I am being targeted because I belong to this side of the coalition”. In my view, that has made the fight against corruption much more difficult in this coalition era. The Members know that names were brought to this House for approval as members of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). It is a pity that so far, we have not been able to set up an effective anti-corruption commission. The reasons are well known to the Members of the House. Equally, I strongly regret the fact that we have not passed legislation to effect the one-third gender rule, which is in the Constitution. It is a pity. However, there is a way out because the courts have ruled that this must be rectified by the year 2015. I hope that in the course of the life of the next Parliament, we are going to come up with legislation which will enable us to satisfy the provisions of the gender rule. We can use the results of these coming elections and the votes which would be obtained by the various political parties as the basis for allocating seats on the gender basis within that period. In other words, it does not have to last beyond the life of the next Parliament. I am determined to ensure that, that happens. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I need to congratulate you, specifically, for the role you have played as captain of this House. You have steered the debates and discussions in this House in a very civilized manner. You have managed to depolarize politics within this House. Sometimes you have been called upon to resolve differences within the Executive itself. Issues which, even as you said, were not within your own purview or responsibility, have come before you and you have helped us in making the Grand Coalition Government function smoothly. For example, when we disagreed on the issue of the appointments of the Chief Justice, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Attorney-General and the Controller of Budget, you assisted us despite the fact that there were very strong and passionate feelings among other Members. All that I was doing was just to ensure that no Presidency is created which will enable the Executive to abuse the provisions of the Constitution. With that intervention, we now have a Chief Justice who everybody agrees is equal to the enormous task of judicial reforms. Finally, at times, it has not been very easy to handle this position as a Prime Minister. I have now the honor to be the last Prime Minister because this position is going to be extinct in the new constitutional dispensation. It is not an easy position particularly when you are the Prime Minister in a Grand Coalition Government, when you share power with the President on a 50-50 basis. Sometimes partisan issues come into play which undermine the effectiveness of the position of a Prime Minister. But we have managed to tolerate and move forward. The President has sometimes come under a lot of partisan pressure. I know when the President is acting as himself and when he is acting under partisan pressure. I have equally also come under a lot of partisan pressure. Sometimes you are being told that: “Oh, you are being subservient to your coalition partner. They are getting the better of you and you are not being treated as an equal partner”. But we have looked at the bigger good of the country and tried to resist the pressures which would have resulted in the collapse of the Coalition Government. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are happy that we have reached this far. We have been two equal partners in the Grand Coalition Government. One coalition partner is now retiring and I know that hon. Members will agree with me that the other coalition partner, who has the experience, should continue so that there is continuity in the Government."
}