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{
    "id": 526894,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/526894/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 114,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale)",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 170,
        "legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
        "slug": "bonny-khalwale"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I really must appreciate you, having witnessed the pressure under which the Speaker of the “Lower House” worked, it must have been very brave of you to allow us to come here. I really must thank you. I will take over from where Sen. Kembi-Gitura left. He left by appealing to you to remember that if some parties here will feel aggrieved by the decision that will be made by the High Court, they will explore the option of appealing to the Court of Appeal and, probably, the Supreme Court. I want to assume that he was attempting to speak for both sides of the House. If he was, then may I remind him that we in the opposition - we are the children of the change movement of this country have a further option after the Supreme Court and that is falling back to the people. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like you, in making your ruling, to put into consideration the implications of the people saying that their elected leaders have failed to articulate matters of national importance. I want to refer you to Article 94 (4) of the Constitution. It says:- “Parliament shall protect this Constitution and promote the democratic governance of the Republic”. Mr. Speaker, Sir, before Parliament does that, the same Constitution in 94 (1) says that the legislative authority of the Republic is derived from the people and at the national level is exercised by Parliament. So, if the Senate Majority Leader wants to say that what the National Assembly said about this matter of national importance is enough, he is, therefore, falling in the same trap that the Speaker of the National Assembly and the President found themselves. That is: They forgot that under this Constitution, Parliament is bicameral and, therefore, if only the National Assembly has spoken, it does not mean that Parliament has spoken. Parliament only speaks after the Senate and the National Assembly have spoken. Please, in your ruling, do not reduce this country to one which is operating under a unicameral Parliament. Your ruling should reflect and recognize the fact that this is a bicameral system of legislature. Finally, I would like to remind the House that according to Standing Order No.1(2), the House has got traditions, usages and practices. The ruling of a previous Speaker is manifestly important when a Speaker is to make a decision in the Chair. Senator Marende said certain things on the issue of sub judice."
}