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{
    "id": 370212,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/370212/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 202,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, I rise to support this Motion. I will be very brief. I will not go to the content of the Motion which hon. Laboso has very ably put. Indeed, there are some issues that I support in the EPAs and there are some that I do not support. The more fundamental issue that I want to raise is that this House passed the Treaty Making and Ratification Act, that I moved in the last Parliament, and that Act is very clear about the process of treaty making and ratification. Under Articles 7 and 8, it provides that in the making of a treaty, it has to come through Parliament. Parliament must approve before the country ratifies. If, indeed, any Ministry purports to make any treaty without reference to Parliament and without coming before Parliament, then it is a nullity ab initio. I know hon. Members have raised a lot of substantive issues both for or against delay in the signing and ratification of these agreements, but those substantive issues can be canvassed more once the law that purports to ratify that treaty is brought before this House. I, therefore, thank hon. Laboso for bringing to our attention this. I urge the Ministry concerned to bring that law before this House, so that we can choose whether we want to ratify the agreements or not. Even as we ratify, whether we ratify with reservations on some clauses is important. Otherwise, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}