SPEAKER TO BE CHOSEN SOON

Swazi Observer

8 October 2008

Speaker to be chosen ‘soon’

By Timothy Simelane

CLERK to Parliament, Sanele Nxumalo says parliament is ready to resume business, following the announcement and election of MPs.

Nxumalo said she was waiting for the official list to be forwarded to her office by the EBC, afterwhich she would call MPs to the House.

“Everything is in order now, and if we get the list today (yesterday) we will definitely call MPs before the end of the week.”

She said she had already drawn a programme of things to be done by the MPs from the first day.

“We have made guidelines for the MPs on how Senators will be elected. They will elect Senators to take 10 seats at Senate, and then await the appointed Senators.”

He said this parliament had a task to implement fully the dictates of the constitution.

Nxumalo said the parliament mace will, however, not be used until all parliamentarians are educated fully on how it works.

A mace gives the Speaker powers to discipline MPs for misbehaving.

Nxumalo said a new press centre had also been built for journalists covering parliament.

Expected sequence of events:

- Clerk will call all MPs to the House

- MPs will elect 10 people to Senate

- His Majesty King Mswati III will appoint 20 Senators

- King will call the nation to the cattle byre where he will announce a new Prime Minister

- Assembly and Senate will elect Speaker and Senate President

- Senators and MPs will meet His Majesty for the first time.

Link http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=47488&section=main

New MPs not eligible
ONLY MPs who have been members of the House of Assembly or Senate before are eligible to be elected Speaker.

The new constitution states that new comers are not eligible to stand – probably because they have not learnt the standing orders of parliament business.

Those eligible include Lutfo Dlamini of Nzingeni, Hlobsile Ndlovu of Pigg’s Peak, Menenjeni Mahlalela of KaShewula, Doward Sihlongonyane of Somntongo, Timothy Myeni of Lubulini, Esther Dlamini of Mbabane East, Henry Dlamini of Ntfonjeni, Petros Mavimbela of Mhlambanyatsi, Patrick Mamba of Sithobela, Ntuthuko Dlamini of Lamgabhi and Gift ‘Cracker’ Hlophe of Sandleni. Also eligible are Chief Nzameya Nhlabatsi, Majozi Sithole and Themba Msibi.

Lobamba Lomdzala MP Marwick Khumalo recently said he was not interested in the Speakers’ position. He was once elected Speaker but later resigned from the position.

Link http://www.observer.org.sz/main.php?id=47489&section=main