Mr Chairman, the IFP too wishes publicly to express its concern regarding the way the term of office of the Chief Justice has been extended. We too have serious qualms about the decision on its merits. We have the greatest appreciation for the Chief Justice and the role that he is playing and that we expect him to play in the future, but there has been a constitutional breach or there has been a constitutional blunder.
We need to have the courage to do the right thing, because what is happening and the litigation which is being launched today will undermine the credibility of our institution and will taint a man who does not deserve to be tainted by the mistakes made by our President. We must pass a Bill in the Justice committee - it can be done in a matter of days - to extend the term of office in the way the Constitution prescribes it to be, which is by means of an Act of Parliament and not by the President; it is under an Act of Parliament or in terms of an Act of Parliament.
Perhaps the Minister in the Presidency can convey that to the President himself. There is a quick solution. It is the proper thing to do and we can respect the formality of the Constitution without bypassing it merely because we are all in agreement that the outcome is what we wish it to be.
The next time around that might not be the case bypassing the constitutional protection of an Act of Parliament. Extending the term of office of a constitutional Justice is extremely dangerous. The Constitution of this country or the Constitution of any other country states a limit which should not be extended at the discretion of the President. Thank you. [Time expired.]