Land talk upsets parliament
Opposition MPs who walked out of a debate two weeks ago have accused Swapo of “stifling debate” in the National Assembly and then “bulldozing” through crucial legislation.
Opposition parties in the National Assembly have accused Swapo legislators of steamrolling the Urban and Regional Planning Bill through parliament on Tuesday despite an agreement that no land laws would be discussed until after the second land conference.
The parties, including RDP and Swanu, yesterday expressed their dissatisfaction in a statement signed by Popular Democratic Movement member of parliament Jennifer van der Heever.
The parties also accused the Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, of bias after he said the bill did not relate to land matters.
Two weeks ago the opposition members walked out of parliament, refusing to discuss the bill.
At the time, rural and urban development minister Sophia Shaningwa pleaded with the members not “throw the baby out with the bathwater” and to instead take time to study the bill and make decisions on merit.
Parliament sessions were disrupted by Swapo members' campaigning for the party's top four positions that were elected at the weekend's party congress.
According to Van der Heever Swapo MPs simply “abused” their majority and pushed the bill through when they returned to parliament on Tuesday.
The land conference, which had been scheduled for September this year, was postponed indefinitely after several earlier postponements.
“It is completely unacceptable for the National Assembly to have agreed in principle to the withdrawal of the Land Bill on the basis that it would be discussed after the second national land conference.
“And further for the Swapo caucus to have voted out a motion by Swanu's member of parliament Usutuaije Maamberua seeking to interrogate the resettlement programme on the basis that discussions should wait until after the second national land conference, and then for the House to be directly confronted by land issues in piecemeal fashion through a variety of bills such as the Land Tax Amendment Bill and Urban and Regional Planning Bill,” she said.
The parties pointed out that they had no problem with the substance of the Regional Planning Bill itself, but believed that the culture of “stifling debate” in the National Assembly, and then looking to “bulldoze” through crucial legislation on the very same issues, weakened and compromised the integrity of the law-making process.
“Land is an important and highly emotive issue in Namibia. It is an issue that must be addressed by looking at all its different dimensions and not only by randomly looking at those aspects that are convenient to some. By so doing, we comprise the integrity of the law-making process insofar as land is concerned in Namibia,” they stated.
JEMIMA BEUKES
The parties, including RDP and Swanu, yesterday expressed their dissatisfaction in a statement signed by Popular Democratic Movement member of parliament Jennifer van der Heever.
The parties also accused the Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi, of bias after he said the bill did not relate to land matters.
Two weeks ago the opposition members walked out of parliament, refusing to discuss the bill.
At the time, rural and urban development minister Sophia Shaningwa pleaded with the members not “throw the baby out with the bathwater” and to instead take time to study the bill and make decisions on merit.
Parliament sessions were disrupted by Swapo members' campaigning for the party's top four positions that were elected at the weekend's party congress.
According to Van der Heever Swapo MPs simply “abused” their majority and pushed the bill through when they returned to parliament on Tuesday.
The land conference, which had been scheduled for September this year, was postponed indefinitely after several earlier postponements.
“It is completely unacceptable for the National Assembly to have agreed in principle to the withdrawal of the Land Bill on the basis that it would be discussed after the second national land conference.
“And further for the Swapo caucus to have voted out a motion by Swanu's member of parliament Usutuaije Maamberua seeking to interrogate the resettlement programme on the basis that discussions should wait until after the second national land conference, and then for the House to be directly confronted by land issues in piecemeal fashion through a variety of bills such as the Land Tax Amendment Bill and Urban and Regional Planning Bill,” she said.
The parties pointed out that they had no problem with the substance of the Regional Planning Bill itself, but believed that the culture of “stifling debate” in the National Assembly, and then looking to “bulldoze” through crucial legislation on the very same issues, weakened and compromised the integrity of the law-making process.
“Land is an important and highly emotive issue in Namibia. It is an issue that must be addressed by looking at all its different dimensions and not only by randomly looking at those aspects that are convenient to some. By so doing, we comprise the integrity of the law-making process insofar as land is concerned in Namibia,” they stated.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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