PVO Amendment Bill: Gonese complains over Bill passage procedure
Mutare Central legislator Innocent Gonese has complained to the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda that Parliament violated Standing Orders Number 151 when the PVO Amendment Bill moved from the Second Reading Stage to the Committee Stage.
The standing order relates to the committal of bills from the Second Reading stage to the Committee stage.
According to the Standing Rules and Orders of Parliament, no two stages of a bill can be taken on the same day unless the house has granted leave.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Honourable Gonese urged Parliament to not overlook matters of practice when dealing with bills.
‘’Mr. Speaker Sir, I think it is a fundamental issue. It is in terms of Standing Order Number 151 Mr. Speaker Sir – Bill committed after Second Reading. Mr. Speaker Sir, the provisions of that Standing Order are very clear, that is the committal of a Bill after the Second Reading.
‘’For the benefit of Hon. Members, I just read it because it is short. When a Bill has been read a second time, it must stand committed to the Committee of the Whole House, on such day as the Member in charge of it must appoint, unless the House otherwise orders.
‘’I am cognisant that the House can grant leave and I am also aware Mr. Speaker Sir that there is a Standing Order which stipulates that no two stages of a Bill may be heard on the same day without the leave of the House.
‘’I am aware Mr. Speaker that leave of the House was sought but I want to underline the fact that the spirit of those provisions is meant to deal with non-contentious matters which need to be disposed of. This is a rule of practice Mr. Speaker, not just of this Parliament. In respect of this particular Bill, I was one of the Hon. Members who debated this Bill at length during the Second Reading and several other Members debated extensively.
‘’It is in that context Mr. Speaker Sir that I want to underline the fact that as practice, as a convention, we must not overlook matters of practice and matters of convention.
‘’This is a Bill Mr. Speaker Sir, which required Members to be put on notice because a Committee Stage of a Bill is the most important stage of a Bill.
‘’It is against that spirit of the intention of the Standing Orders which allows Honourable Members to digest the response of the Honourable Minister.
‘’That is the reason why in our Standing Orders, there are two provisions, one which says that no two stages of a Bill may be made on the same day and this one which says on a date to be appointed. This is to allow Hon. Members time to study any proposed amendments. That is my submission Mr. Speaker Sir,’’ he said.
Ruling on the matter, Speaker of National Assembly Jacob Mudenda said the complaint should have been raised on the day when the issue happened, adding the horse have already bolted.
‘’Order, understood. That issue should have been raised yesterday when leave was sought for the Second Reading of the Bill. So, you are discussing a matter, you want to close the stable door when the horses have bolted? It does not matter whether you were on virtual or not. You had that opportunity to raise the issue,’’ he said.
PVO Amendment Bill: Gonese complains over Bill passage procedure
