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{
    "id": 598124,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/598124/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
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    "content": "we must do a head count as we always do and that is why we keep postponing votes until we have a minimum of 24. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, two-thirds of this House is 32. Therefore, I am urging the Chair to guide the House through a reasoned ruling because for us to go to any vote on this matter, we must have 24 delegations. For us to overturn the Memorandum of the President, we must have a vote supported by 32 delegations. Looking at Standing Order No.76, the Constitution is the grand norm, and all other laws spring from it. For the procedures of the House, the Standing Orders spring from the Constitution to guide the procedure of this House. The Standing Order No.76(2) is very important even for those who will pursue counter argument, I want them to listen to me on this. It says:- “The Speaker shall direct a roll call vote to be taken in every instance where the Constitution lays down that a fixed majority is necessary to decide any question or in instances where the Senate is to decide on a matter that requires voting by County Delegations.” The meaning of this is that the Speaker shall not call a vote until and unless he has directed a roll call where a threshold has been set in the Constitution by Article 115(4)(b); that we need two-thirds to overturn the President’s Memorandum. Where we need to simply pass it, we need 24. These are set thresholds. Under Standing Order 76(2), you cannot cause a vote until and unless you have caused a roll call to establish that there are enough delegations to meet the requirement under the Standing Orders and the Constitution. This is not just a general vote which we popularly call “noisy vote” which is decided by how many will open their mouths to say “Ayes” or “Noes”. We do not need that because we are dealing with a vote that has a set threshold in the law and the Constitution. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the point I am making is that on Thursday, this side of the House was displeased with the ruling of the Chair; they did not agree with it, but respected it and left the Chamber. Rightly so, the matters were dealt with, but no vote was put. For the future of this country, this House and generations to come, we want to be incessantly clear that the meaning of Standing Order No.76 is that regardless of whether the distinguished Senators are in the House or not, if the House does not have 24 Delegations, it cannot go to a vote under whatever circumstances. That is what Standing Order 76 says. The Speaker shall direct a roll call to be taken in every instance where the Constitution lays down that fixed majority."
}