Opposition walks out of NA twice over rights concerns

ALL opposition Members of Parliament landed a double-whammy ‘first’ yesterday when they walked out of the National Assembly twice during the same session.

One five-letter word sparked the first absence when the opposition benches requested an amendment to the Communications Bill, also dubbed the Spy Bill.They wanted to change the word ‘may’ to ‘shall’ in a clause that stipulates that ‘a warrant may be required’ to intercept telecommunications.Johan de Waal of the DTA asked that this could be changed to ‘… a warrant shall be required’, but information Minister Joel Kaapanda would have none of it.’I am disappointed by the opposition. I had discussions with you and said you could present amendments, which you did not do,’ Kaapanda charged. Swapo MPs also indicated through their interjections that they would not have the one word changed. De Waal hit back saying they wanted the bill referred to a parliamentary standing committee. ‘You now want to intercept without a warrant, that is why the term ‘may be intercepted’ is there,’ he added. DTA President Kaura said the term ‘shall be’ would make it a prerequisite that a warrant was always necessary for interceptions.’Why not make the change? It is one word and it would strengthen the Bill,’ Henk Mudge of the RP asked.After the obligatory tea break, DTA President Kaura tabled the amendment, which had been formulated and typed during the break, but it was rejected by the Swapo benches. The House was thus divided and all Swapo MPs voted in favour of ‘may be’ while the opposition MPs, who wanted ‘shall be’ all walked out.After the bill was passed minus the opposition benchers, Minister Kaapanda thanked ‘all those who supported the Bill amidst shouts of ‘Mannetjie’ and Swapo clenched-fist salutes. When the opposition MPs returned to the Chamber for the next item on the order paper, Swapo benchers shouted ‘boo, boo’ at them.However, a second walk-out was to follow only minutes later. Local and Regional Government Minister Jerry Ekandjo tabled yet another amendment to the Electoral Amendment Bill, which now allows fishermen out at sea to vote before an election. Just 24 hours earlier on Tuesday afternoon he had refused to do that. ‘Let the National Council do it when they debate the Bill next week,’ Ekandjo had said Tuesday. In a surprise move Ekandjo yesterday tabled the amendment for the seamen. When MPs had to vote on it, Nora Schimming-Chase of CoD said she had to voice an objection. ‘ I object to this Bill. When the Minister introduced the Bill he said voting would be done in one day in future and ballots counted the same day. I will not vote for this,’ she said. All opposition MPs rose as one again and walked out a second time. Outside, the opposition explained to The Namibian, that they had expected an amendment so that the Bill would have a clause which would stipulate that voting would only be done in one day. This did not happen.In the original Electoral Act of 1992 a clause provides for two voting days and this clause was left untouched in the Amendment Bill by Ekandjo. On Tuesday, Ekandjo tabled an amendment that advertisements of new political parties wanting to register and have to advertise in the Government Gazette, need not pay for them any more. In the initial amendment bill, each new political party was supposed to carry the advertising costs, which was severely criticised by opposition parties during the debate. Tuesday’s amendment which now stipulates that Government would pay for such advertisements and this was agreed to.