Clock ticks for truant MPs

PARLIAMENT will soon introduce a new log-in system that tracks the number of hours Members of Parliament sit in National Assembly sessions to minimise absenteeism.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting with civic society and media practitioners in Mutare last week, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda said it was disappointing that there were MPs who had not participated in Parliament business in five years.

“In the next Parliament, we will install an electronic system that records the time an MP signs in and the time they log out,” he said. “We will also come up with the minimum number of hours of attendance.

“This means that if an MP does not sit in Parliament for those hours, he or she will not receive the sitting allowance. We have Members of Parliament who have not said anything in Parliament in their five-year tenure.

“They come and leave after 10 minutes, while others remain behind debating issues. As presiding officers, we get disappointed when we see this happening, so we want to make sure it does not happen in the next Parliament.”

Adv Mudenda said Parliament had engaged political parties to keep track of their MPs so that those who did not make contributions during debates were not allowed to contest in the next election.

This, he said, would encourage MPs to debate issues that contributed meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country.

“The election is around the corner, you all need to make your voices heard by voting in capable MPs,” said Adv Mudenda. “It’s time to choose MPs who represent your interests and not their own selfish needs. We want MPs who will make it easy for the President to choose capable people into the Government.

As you know, our Constitution does not provide for the President to appoint many ministers who are not Members of Parliament.”