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    "id": 407965,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/407965/?format=api",
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    "content": "It is now my wish to quickly take the Senate through the proposed amendments. If you have my Report, we can read it together. I am now on page 4. The first proposal was to amend the prayer. The feeling is that the prayer in the current Standing Orders is a bit too long and, therefore, there is a proposal to shorten it in the manner set out in the Report and there is also a proposal that the prayer be translated into Kiswahili. I think this should not elicit any controversy at all. We are trying to save time for the Senate. Second is Standing Order No.6 which relates to the election of the Speaker, and here we are trying to improve transparency in the election of the Speaker. We are saying that the Senators or agents of the candidates should be present to inspect the votes so that when the Clerk makes a declaration that a vote is invalid, it should be done in the presence of, and after inspection by Senators representing each of the candidates in the election. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on page 5, Standing Order No.13, we are providing that the Speaker once elected, should preside over the election of the Deputy Speaker. This is normal practice and what we are trying to do is just to qualify what has been happening in the past. Fourthly, on Standing Order No.15, we are saying that in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker, or a Member of the Chairperson’s Panel should preside over the Committees of the Whole. This has also been happening and what we are trying to do is just to codify the practice because the Chairpersons to the Speaker’s Panel have in the past sometimes presided over Committees of the Whole without the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker. Fifth is the heading at Part IV. I think if you look at your Standing Orders, it is page 32. It currently reads “the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader”. We are saying that that heading should be amended to read the “Senate Political Leadership”, so that we can also capture other political leaders of the Senate like the Senate Majority Whip and the Senate Minority Whip. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are also proposing that Standing Order No.19 be amended by adding a new paragraph to provide that a Senator belonging to a party or a coalition of parties be elected by the party and the Senate Majority Whip because the current article does not provide for election of the Whip or the Deputy Whip by the political party. On page 6, we are proposing an amendment by inserting a new paragraph to state that whenever a Senate Majority Leader is absent or is unable to perform his or her functions, the Deputy Senate Majority Leader performs those functions in an acting capacity. We are also making an amendment to propose that in the absence of the Senate Majority Leader and the Deputy Senate Majority Leader, the Whip performs the functions of those functions in an acting capacity. I think those are common sense amendments. We are also proposing to amend similar provisions in Paragraph 5 of Standing Order No.19 by making similar provisions to provide for removal of a Majority The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}