Home » Media Centre » Blogs » On Censure Motions
By Mzalendo Contributor - Moreen Majiwa (@mmajiwa)
Budalang’i MP and chairperson of Parliament’s Justice & Legal Affairs
Committees, Ababu Nwambamba, seems to be the latest in number of
government officials facing threats of removal from office or censure motions.
8 MPs have signed a petition giving three days notice for the removal of MP
Ababu Nwambamba as chair of the justice & legal affairs committee under
Standing Order 175, which permits a vote of no confidence against the
leadership of a committee by a majority of its members. The calls for removal of
office came after the Justice and Legal Affairs committee submitted reports on
the validity of judicial nominations.
I say latest because recently there has been an alarming number threat of
censure motions or calls for removal office - 4 in the last month alone.
This week some MPs called for the early removal of the Attorney General Amos
Wako from office, his term ends 27th August 2011. The call for his removal came
after his statement in court that the nominations for AG, DDP, CJ, and Budget
Controller were improper.
The MPs calling for the AG’s removal feel that his statement over the impropriety
of judicial nominations undermined both the president and the ‘governments’
position on the nominations. They have also accused him of failing to properly
defend the government in a case brought by women’s organisations on the
constitutionality of the nominations.
Last week the Speaker of the of National Assembly, Kenneth Marende also faced
threats of censure when the Vice President and Head of Government business
and a section of MPs threatened move a motion censuring the Speaker following
his ruling that nominations were unconstitutional.
And earlier this month 14 legislators threatened to lead a censure a motion
against the Prime Minister, following the row with the President over the
nominations. ‘If he continues like this we are going to move a motion of no
confidence against him’ stated Kaloeni MP Kambi Kazumgu.
The basis of all these motions seem to be having a dissenting opinion, rather
than an actual inability to perform ones duty, or acts of gross conduct. Furthermore,
these motions and calls for removal from office seem surprising given that no
such or calls motions have been brought to censure parliamentarians that are
being investigated for drug trafficking, or ones that have been mentioned in
connection with crimes against humanity in the international criminal court case,
or ones who have ongoing cases criminal cases and whose personal interests
may actually be conflict national interests.
When did disagreement become a reason for removal from office and what is the
impact of such vexation censure motions on independent thought?
Categories: No tags
You must login to comment
There are no comments.