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Professor Joseph Diescho. PHOTO: FILE
Professor Joseph Diescho. PHOTO: FILE

We voted for absentee lawmakers ourselves

Professor Joseph Diescho
The matter of Namibian parliamentarians' absenteeism should not shock us.

The culture we created by virtue of how our MPs behave is the fault and responsibility of all of us.

Here is the reality: 1. Our MPs are elected not on the basis of making laws and governing the country. They are there to defend their parties who sent them there. In this sense, it is important for them to go to the rallies of their parties now so that they can be sent again next year. They do not care about making Namibia better.

2. These MPs are MPs only by name because they do not do what parliamentary duties are all about.

They go to work by sitting there and collecting honourable salaries and travelling to harvest more fees.

3. Most of our MPs cannot read or write, never mind debate! So they feel exposed in parliament, where they are expected to speak and debate.

4. They are tired and bored. Imagine sitting there afternoon after afternoon for years and not contributing to the business! The business these honorables are in is both hard and boring at the same time. Anyone in that trap would want to be away if an opportunity arose.

5. Our MPs are not elected directly by the people, and an unhelpful number of them were wheelbarrowed into parliament. The highest aspiration is to be appointed minister or deputy minister. Those who are not appointed dread being MPs for the rest of their tenure in the House.

6. The current MPs have their eyes on 2025 and are preoccupied with being closer to those who will determine where they will sit next year. The time to be seen by the next appointing authorities is now, and that place to be seen is not in parliament but at rallies and functions where such appearances are practical.

The fault is with us – that we created a system of no accountability to the citizens. The bar is too low! The manner in which members of the legislature are selected and elected must change, and there ought to be educational qualifications attached to becoming a lawmaker.

#NamibiaDecides2024

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-22

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