DA's LIES ON ISMO BILL

14 March 2014

The Office of the ANC Chief dismisses the deliberate distortion and misleading claim by DA MP, Lance Greyling, that the ANC Chief Whip has told parliament's programming committee that the Minister of Energy has blocked the processing of the Independent Services and Market Operator (ISMO) Bill in Parliament. The deliberations of the programming committee are open to the public, and it is therefore mischievous of any MP to distort them just to score cheap political points. There can be no fitting description than pathological liar for anyone who lies and twist facts openly expressed in an open forum.

The Chief Whip's response to the DA's enquiry regarding the status of the Bill in Parliament was very clear. It is a normal practice for Ministers, as sponsors of Bills in Parliament, to temporarily withdraw them pending further work or putting in place conducive conditions for their effective implementation. It is a standard practice for Parliament to allow the Executive to withdraw and re-submit Bills as part of ensuring a quality legislative process and product.

We are confident that the ISMO Bill will be resuscitated in the next term of Parliament so that Parliament's work on it can be concluded. The same goes for several Bills which Parliament could not pass during this term.

Statement issued by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, March 14 2014

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