Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 697233,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/697233/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 352,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "window to express its sympathy to this person who has been rejected by the National Assembly. Therefore, it is important for us to reconsider the position of the Senate vis-a-vis that of the National Assembly. Going by what we observe in other countries and in other democracies, the Senate is the final voice of any country in case of any dispute. It is so because it is the Senate which is thought to be the final one, particularly in the impeachment proceedings. It can impeach the governor; it can impeach even the President and not the National Assembly. So, if it is so articulate in the Constitution that the Senate has that role of impeachment, oversight and ensuring that devolution is implemented in the country, it is therefore, prudent that we need to understand that aspect of the law that is missing when it comes to vetting and the appointment of some of the public officers in the Government. Some of these public officers have been vetted; some of them have been humiliated by the National Assembly by asking them questions that are not relevant to their work. That balancing act can even send shockwaves to some of these officers in the field. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, they might be demoralized if they discover that some of the panelists who are interviewing them have inferior qualifications. So, it is important that this amendment is introduced so that even the members who will be involved in the vetting should have higher qualifications or same qualifications as the interviewees. If you go down to Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), you find an MCA who does not have a degree is interviewing somebody who has a degree and he is asking them irrelevant questions. The same thing can happen in the National Assembly. If the same happens, then you find that we might lose a very important person who could run the affairs of this country. That is why we are now trying to reintroduce the position of the Senate. Therefore, the Senate is very important and it should be seen as a fallback position for anybody who can be rejected in the National Assembly. We take it that the Senate should be the final House to decide whether what the National Assembly has done is fair or not. Of late, we have introduced the idea of having the Bills that originate from the National Assembly passing through the Senate. That is a very important introduction. That introduction has given the Senate power that was not there before and the Senators feel that they are obligated to discuss and come up with resolutions that can differ with the National Assembly. In cases where they differ, there is the Mediation Committee. If there is a difference between what the National Assembly finds out through vetting, the difference is to be registered between that House and the Senate, then the Mediation Committee will solve the problem. That is why it is important for us to be involved. This is because without such involvement, then the victim will be the person who, otherwise, would have passed if the Senate had put its stamp on. That is why we are saying that the amendment through this Bill is very good. It is a very good introduction because it will act like a supreme organ such as the High Court or Supreme Court. That is how it is even in the Judiciary where somebody will seek remedy or further hearing in the Supreme Court if he will not be satisfied with the lower court. The same case should be developed in the House."
}