Dodoma — Tanzania
Parliament has modified its way of operating during the budget sessions
scheduled for today as it adopts measures to avoid spreading
coronavirus.
Speaker of the
National Assembly Job Ndugai announced yesterday the new approach which
will see
the number of the members of parliament (MPs), journalists and
working hours reduced to escape crowding.
The number of the
MPs to get into the debating chamber will now be limited to 150 at once,
said Mr Ndugai adding that the rest will follow the proceedings through
video conferencing and an application installed in the tablets of the
lawmakers.
The working hours
has also been reduced from nine to four hours while the House promised
to fully go digital by providing no document in print. The National
Assembly has 393 members but at some points the House could accommodate
about 700 people including the MPs, visitors, journalists, staff and
government experts representing various departments.
"There will be no
questions-and-answers session as we used to have but all these will be
communicated to the MPs through their tablets every morning. In case one
has a supplementary questions, they will ask online and it will get in
the parliament system," said Mr Ndugai at a press briefing. The number
of people diagnosed with tcoronavirus infection had risen to 19 by
yesterday after five others tested positive.
Ministers who
normally use a special podium to respond to issues or present speeches
will now be allowed to do so from their chairs using their microphones.
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During voting on
the main budget, Mr Ndugai said the House will have special arrangement
which will allow all MPs to vote as required by the constitution.
The MPs normally
sign in the morning and evening sessions to get their full allowances
but this time they will only login in the system installed in the tables
that accepts them while in the Bunge grounds.
The budget sessions will start today and are scheduled to end on June 30, 2020.
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