PETITIONING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE KINGDOM OF LESOTHO
ON THE NATIONAL REFORMS COMMISSION BILL 2018
Name: Development for Peace Education (DPE)
Date: 17th January 2017
Development for Peace Education (DPE) a non-governmental organisation working towards creation of society guided by the principles of the culture of peace through among others peace education, facilitation of dialogue and enhancing public participation, a member of large spectrum of civil society organisations in Lesotho, part of social movement in the Southern Africa and a member of global peace movement is
aware that;
- National Assembly is set to embark on the deliberations over enactment of the National Reforms Commission Bill 2018 and that;
- The same will be preceded by the suspension of Standing Order # 51(5) which would otherwise subject the Bill to the relevant portfolio committee;
realising that;
- Suspension of this Standing Order will set the Standing Order # 95 in limbo, the provision which would otherwise allow parliament to exercise its constitutional oversight function on the operations of different ministries of government;
- In that scenario parliament would not be able through its portfolio committee to liaise with the responsible ministry particularly in relation to the queries , issues and views which citizens may raise;
noting that;
- In these circumstances the parliament may not call for evidence or submission of any form of inputs from outside;
- Facilitation of public participation a function cardinal to the ethos of democracy and a manifestation of the doctrine of separation of powers would be automatically be suspended by the suspension of Standing Order # 51(5)
therefore resolve to;
petition National Assembly to:
- Disallow proposal to suspend the Standing Order # 51(5) because doing so would otherwise contribute to the error the government is committing which is that of mishandling the otherwise delicate process of reforms which has to be inclusive. Doing so would enable the portfolio committee to bring into consideration all the deliberations including signed agreements indicating that legislation of reforms process shall be a result of consensus of stakeholders. Civil society organisations, church, Development partners, SADC and others have always put their faith in the multi stakeholder forum to be led by government to come up with consensus that would indicate direction including defining the necessary and enabling law ;
- Exercise its power to defer this Bill pending the upcoming multi stakeholder conference where ideas would have been gathered from different stakeholders to inform the law.
