DA objects to programme for Thursday's special sitting
25 November 2014
The DA strongly objects to the ridiculous provisional programme the ANC proposed at today's chief whip's forum for Thursday's special sitting of the National Assembly.
The proposed programme will currently run for all of 25 minutes, and only includes the consideration of five reports, including the report on the Power and Privileges Committee's investigation into the events of 21 August.
This is completely unacceptable for a number of reasons:
1) Because the reports are simply being "considered" by the House, there will be no time for debates on the reports. This means that there will be no time for a debate on the Powers and Privileges Committee report. This report is deeply flawed as the committee used clearly inappropriate methodology to suit the ANC's agenda. It must be debated.
2) Any special sitting must include questions to the President. He has not yet answered questions in Parliament this term as required by the rules. It is shameful that the ANC today again refused to consider any suggestion that the President answer questions.
3) The cost to the tax payer for convening this 25 minute session will be enormous. The vast majority of the 400 MPs have already left Cape Town for their constituencies, and most will now have to be flown back to Parliament at the state's expense. A 25 minute sitting bereft of any substance or debate does not merit this expenditure.
The bottom line is that the ANC has once again done everything in its power to stop questions to President Zuma and to undermine open debate in the House.
The ANC is prepared to fly in all 400 MPs, at great cost to the state, to host a 25 minute ceremonial adoption of reports. The special sitting has all the time in the world to debate the reports and for President Zuma to answer questions.
This proposed agenda is an insult to Parliament and cannot stand. We will object to the ANC's programme in tomorrow's programming meeting and reiterate our demands for the President to come answer questions on Thursday.
Statement issued by Mike Waters, DA Deputy Chief Whip, November 25 2014
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