By Crispina Lois Cummings
Parliament on Tuesday amended Section 79 of the country's constitution by passing into law the bill entitled Constitution of Sierra Leone Amendment Act 2013. This effectively means that the next Speaker does not necessarily have to be someone with a legal background.
In the absence of the current Speaker, Justice Abel Stronge for which no reasons were given, the bill was presented to the House by Deputy Minister of Justice, Arrow Bockarie, and presided over by deputy speaker Chernor Maju Bah, MP.
Amid fevered speculation that the bill is intended to replace him as Speaker, when contacted by Politico Justice Stronge declined to give his reaction to the new bill or why he was not in the House for the debate.
After the first reading of the bill, the House agreed that it should go to the committee stage.
Making their contributions to the bill, Leader of the House, Sheku Dumbuya, MP, said it was ridiculous for a Deputy Speaker to be elected every two years, adding that the position should be voted for once every term. He also moved a motion that a criterion for the position of Speaker should be an elected Member of Parliament who has served for not less than five years and the motion was seconded and agreed upon by the House or that such a person, if taken out of Parliament, must have served at least for ten years.
Dumbuya also moved that the Deputy Speaker should be a member who has served in that position for not less than five years, which was also agreed to by the House.
Pinning his motion on the 1991 constitution, Paran Tarawallie, MP, of SLPP moved that the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker should not be less that 40 years old. He argued that Parliament is the second arm of government and that in a situation where the president, the vice president and speaker were away, the deputy speaker would have to act as president. He noted that for that reason, the person should be mature and of the age of a president as stipulated in the constitution which stands at 40 years or older. Rado Yokie, MP, seconded the motion and was agreed to by the House
However, in his contribution, Bu-Buakei Jabbie, MP, said the passing of such a bill should have come to the House after the constitutional review process had been completed.
(C) Politico 21/11/13
