Pending Business of 10th Parliament Lapsed- Speaker Oulanyah Guides

The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanyah has guided to the effect that all business of the 10^th Parliament that remained incomplete lapsed when the term of the 10^th Parliament came to an end.

The Speaker gave the guidance during his communication to the house on Thursday in line with Rule 235 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament.

Oulanyah said that he has received several requests from individual Members of Parliament to have business of the previous Parliament reinstated having given earlier guidance on the matter.

Rule 235 of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament states that; (1) A Bill, Petition, Motion of other Business before the House or a Committee during a term of Parliament lapses upon dissolution of Parliament.

(2) Notwithstanding sub rule (1), a Bill, Petition, Motion or other Business before the House or any of its committees may be reinstated in the next Parliament by a resolution of Parliament.

(3) The reinstatement of a Bill, Petition, Motion or other Business before Parliament or Committee shall be treated as a fresh reference to that Committee.

(4) The resolution of Parliament referred to in sub rule (2) shall be passed in the second sitting of the first session of Parliament.

(5) Business reinstated shall be handled and completed in the first session of Parliament.

“On 4^th June, 2021 during my communication at the State of the Nation Address; I made reference to Business that remained incomplete by the 10^th Parliament, I noted then that whereas that was the second sitting of the House, a motion would have been moved in that sitting to reinstate business that lapsed with the 10^th Parliament in line with Rule 203 and Rule 235(2) of the Rules of Procedure. I guided that given the nature of that day’s sitting, the motion would be moved at an appropriate future sitting, the motion would be moved at an appropriate future sitting,” Oulanyah noted.

However, in his communication to the House on 26^th August 2021, Oulanyah questioned the manner in which such business comes to the 11^th Parliament and the difficulty to track the timelines as required in the Rules of Procedure to execute the assignments.

Oulanyah has finally given up on the business of the 10^th Parliament advising members as well as Government who are interested in any pending issue to have it reintroduced in the House and that business shall begin afresh.

For Bills that were passed by the 10^th Parliament and are pending Presidential assent, if the bill is returned, the same shall have to be reintroduced in the house afresh.

“In the meantime, the Committee on Rules Privileges and Discipline should look at this matter again and plug those loopholes that we are now confronted with. Rule 234 and 235 are problematic and it is my guidance that the Committee is seized with this matter and at an appropriate time should report to this House with proposal,” Oulanyah noted.