Tedros Adhanom, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned in 2018 that no country is fully prepared to fight a new pandemic. Fast forward to 2020 and this prediction has come to fruition: the COVID-19 virus has brought the entire world to a standstill. Governments across the ...

The Week Ahead: Parliament resumes & focuses on COVID-19

Parliament has prioritized a schedule of virtual committee meetings, whose scope of oversight relates to government departments driving COVID-19 response measures.

Initially, the Legislature, suspended its programme until further notice, issued several statements supporting the Government’s interventions and did not want ...

First Term Review of Parliament (28 January to 20 March)

The first term of Parliament was an action-packed and eventful period. The major highlights during the eight weeks of parliamentary activity include: SONA and the subsequent debates; delivery of the Budget Speech and its processing; oversight, legislative and committee work ...

This is what a lockdown means and how it helps to flatten the curve.

The Week Ahead: Parliament's End of the Term & a Reduced Programme

Along with the rest of the country, Parliamentary is consumed by the Coronavirus and much of this week’s planned programme had to be discarded.

In his address on Sunday, the President prohibited non-essential gatherings of 100 people or ...

And just like that, it’s the penultimate week of the first term.

Question Time is the main business in the National Assembly (NA) chamber this week. The practice of oral questions is an established part of the parliamentary day and gives Members of Parliament (MPs) an opportunity to question the ...

There's a full and mixed flavour to the coming week's parliamentary business.

The major points of interest will come from the Question Time sessions with the Executive, the debate on an urgent matter of national public importance and several high-profile meetings in the Committee corridor.

Government Ministers may make oral ...

On Thursday, all eyes will be fixated on Parliament for the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The speech, due to be delivered at 19:00 before a combined gathering of Parliament, the Judiciary and the public, will be a report on the economic and social state of the nation, and ...

1. What is the SONA?

It is an annual address given by the President to a joint session of Parliament and marks the official opening of the legislature. It is designed to be a report on the economic and social state of the nation, and includes a review of the ...