MPs urged to support truancy policy
2012-12-11 15:54
Cape Town - All political parties are being urged to
support tough new measures to crack down on truant MPs, ANC Chief Whip Mathole
Motshekga said on Tuesday.
In his year-end statement, Motshekga said the ANC was
fully behind an attendance and leave policy, which would act as a deterrent to
absenteeism and poor attendance by MPs across the political divide.
"In its current draft, the policy includes sanctions
against defaulters which range from fines and salary deductions to expulsion
from Parliament," said Motshekga.
The draft policy proposed measures which included that
MP's salaries be docked R500 for every day they were absent.
MPs could also be removed from their seats if they were
absent for more than 30 days.
The policy was rejected by some MPs in an August ANC
caucus meeting.
Some ANC MPs felt the policy was badly written and did
not draw a distinction between ministers and ordinary members.
They also opposed the imposition of fines on the basis
that this would clash with the work done by Parliament's joint ethics
committee.
Despite the criticism, Motshekga said radical measures
were needed.
"We will urge parties to adopt this important policy
to ensure that Parliament’s dignity, accountability and discipline are
preserved."
In the same statement, Motshekga patted his caucus on the
back for maintaining three unqualified audits and contributing to the enactment
of progressive bills.
"Parliament in 2012 grappled with a total of 30
draft legislations in the National Assembly and the National Council of
Provinces, 13 of which were signed into law by President Jacob Zuma," he
said.
However, Motshekga bemoaned the fact that inter-party relations
had worsened this year, singling out the DA.
He accused the party of going beyond "the bounds of
acceptable political and ideological differences".
"The fist-banging of tables by the DA MPs during one
of the sittings, based on what was later found to be a misinterpretation of the
rules, will surely go down as the year 2012’s most disgraceful day in
Parliament."
- SAPA
