The National Assembly chambers.
Ndhiwa legislator Agostino Neto has proposed amendments to the Constitution to reduce the number of MPs.
Mr Neto argues his amendments
are aimed at reducing the wage bill, fix the number of MPs, have
constituency boundaries reviewed in terms of population distribution and
create a legal system to help attain the gender principle.
The youthful MP also wants to
have the Presidential and Parliamentary elections held on different
dates “to help foster democracy”.
He also aims to remove the provision for Nominated MPs.
Mr Neto’s suggestion would
necessitate the amendment of nine sections of the Constitution approved
in 2010; Articles 82 (b), 88 (k), 89 (1), 97 (c), 98 (b), 98 (c), 98 (d)
and 101.
“The proposed amendments will
help in the realisation of rights, especially on the election of Women
MPs. The amendments will have a direct budgetary implication as it will
help in reducing the wage bill by having few MPs,” he says in his letter
to the Speaker of the National Assembly.
He has asked the Speaker to “find the amendments worthy of consideration and permit debate on the same.”
Mr Neto says the deletion of
Article 82 (b) would ensure nobody is nominated as MP and 88(k) would
also be deleted. He proposes to have only 304 MPs- 210 from the
constituencies and 94 consisting two women MPs from each of the 47
constituencies.
He proposes to have the number
of MPs fixed at 304 and boundaries would be reviewed after every census,
with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission adjusting the
boundaries appropriately.
Mr Neto proposes that the Senate
constitute 19 women elected from counties, three adjacent counties
constituting single-member constituencies. The IEBC would be responsible
for determining which counties form single constituencies.
He has also proposed that a general election of MPs be held on the second Tuesday of December every fifth year.
daily nation
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