New parliament will live up to people’s expectations, says Speaker Mukabalisa

The second legislature accomplished a lot but the third Chamber of Deputies will make every effort to achieve the best they can with regards to representing the interests of Rwandans, Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa said yesterday. Mukabalisa was speaking shortly after presiding over her first plenary session as Parliament begun the third and final ordinary session of 2013. The new Lower House was sworn in on Friday. “We shall continue from where they [second legislature] left off. In everything we will do, be it in government oversight activities, scrutinising Bills or paying attention to the views of the citizenry, we shall share issues with the executive as we are all working for the same citizens. Our efforts will be directed at finding solutions to people’s problems,” the speaker said. During the opening of the Chamber of Deputies’ ordinary session, the lawmakers considered and approved their agenda for the next two months. During this period, lawmakers will receive and consider new Bills, as well as scrutinise several others that were left behind by the previous House. Successful tenure During its five-year term, the second legislature received 391 Bills. It was not able to finish work on 13 Bills including the Bill on persons and family, the Bill repealing the 2007 law on health insurance, the Bill on tourism, the Bill on disaster management, the Bill on abandoned property, and the Bill on pension. These Bills are among some 19 that the House hopes to pass in the next two months. According to the approved agenda for the two-month ordinary session, lawmakers will consider the relevance of six new Bills, including one regulating the notary profession; and another regulating private security services. Selection of new standing committee members and their heads will be conducted tomorrow.

National

New parliament will live up to people’s expectations, says Speaker Mukabalisa