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{
    "id": 677064,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/677064/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 18,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Members, my office has noted the steep increase in the number of public petitions being presented to the House on various matters. Indeed, a reflection on the weekly reports to this House by various Departmental Committees regarding business pending before them reveals that an overwhelming bulk of that business constitutes considerations of petitions. As at Wednesday, 27th July, 2016, the number of petitions that were before this House stood at 108. Unfortunately, some of those petitions have been pending before the relevant committees of the House for far too long, with some dating back to 2013, oblivious of the 60 calendar days prescribed by Standing Order 227. This is partly because some committees have not been according them due attention. I wish to remind the House that the core reason for citizens opting to present their prayers to this House for intervention on various matters is informed by the failure by relevant authorities to address these concerns. The unprecedented increase in petitions to Parliament, and delays in consideration of the same by the relevant committees, invites the Speaker to guide this House on how best it may handle petitions, going forward. I therefore wish to guide the House on the matter. For predictability and harmony in processing of petitions, I have designated certain days for presentation and reporting as follows:- (i) Tuesdays and Wednesday afternoon Sittings shall be designated for presentation of petitions received; and, (ii) Wednesday Morning and Thursday Afternoon Sittings shall be designated for Committees to report to the House on consideration of petitions referred to them. I therefore direct that, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 225(1), a schedule of all petitions to be presented or reported to the House on a particular day be appended to the Order Paper of that day. As you may have noticed from the Order Papers from Tuesday, 26th July, 2016, this requirement has already taken effect. Hon. Members, upon tabling reports on petitions, chairpersons of the relevant committees shall be required to apprise the House on the contents of the said reports. For clarity, the brief by chairpersons shall be confined to the subject of the petition, the prayers sought by petitioners, summary of the views and evidence gathered and the findings or recommendations thereof. Thereafter, Hon. Members interested in the petition may make brief comments on the report. Such comments by the chairperson shall be limited to a maximum of 10 minutes and the total time shall not exceed 30 minutes. This guidance is meant to breathe life into the provisions of Standing Order 226. Hon. Members, to keep the petitioners’ prayers in abeyance is against the Constitution and our own Standing Orders and tantamount to denying them justice. In this regard, committees that have not reported to the House on petitions referred to them within the requisite period of 60 days, and have not sought leave of the House to have that prescribed time extended for justifiable reasons, are in breach of the provisions of Standing Order 227. I am also aware that most committees are unable to dispose of their business because they have elected to operate without delegating some business to sub-committees, yet the Standing Orders permit them to do so. For avoidance of doubt, Standing 183 provides that a select committee may establish such sub-committees as it may consider necessary for the proper discharge of its functions. Chairpersons of committees are therefore encouraged to embrace the spirit of this provision and utilize the window for establishing sub-committees with a view to expediting transaction of business, particularly business with timelines. I thank you. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}