Parties a no-show at final info bill talks
2012-11-14 21:42
Cape Town - Lawmakers' final meeting on the protection of state information bill was postponed by a week on Wednesday after opposition parties failed to attend.
Although the meeting still had a quorum, thanks to the ANC's majority on the committee handling the bill, the party said it would rather postpone the deliberations than be accused of railroading the controversial bill.
"Tomorrow we should not be accused of bulldozing the process," said ANC MP Teboho Chaane.
Raseriti Tau, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Committee, accepted a proposal by the ANC members to schedule a meeting for the middle of next week.
Tau said the Democratic Alliance and the Congress of the People had presented their excuses, citing other obligations.
The committee's latest deadline for reporting to the NCOP on the official state secrets draft law is 30 November. It then has to be referred back to the National Assembly, which will be able to debate the changes to the measure only next year.
- SAPA
