In General Notice in a Government Gazette published yesterday [link] it was announced that Members of Parliament will be sworn in tomorrow, Thursday 7th September, at the Parliament building.
Members of the National Assembly will be sworn in at 10 a.m.
Senators will be sworn in at 2:30 p.m.
This is necessary because, according to section 128 of the Constitution, Senators and Members of the National Assembly cannot take their seats – i.e. they cannot start work as Members of Parliament – until they have taken an oath of office administered by the Clerk of Parliament.
What Will Happen Tomorrow
The Members of each House will assemble in their respective Chambers and take their oaths as Members of Parliament. The Clerk of Parliament will conduct the proceedings and administer the oaths [section 145 of the Constitution].
The next stage of parliamentary business is the election of presiding officers – a Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the National Assembly and a President and Deputy President for the Senate. We understand however that those elections will not take place tomorrow but at a later date, probably next week.
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Post published in: Featured