Parliamentary recess : too long or reasonable?

Last week, the parliamentary sessions have been adjourned until 27 March 2018. Around two months vacation for our MPs and Ministers. Opinions differ on this subject. While some welcome this break to allow them to work more on the field, others believe that there were not enough parliamentary sessions. Ravi Rutna, MP, and former Speaker Ajay Daby debate on this issue.

 Ravi Rutna: “Members of parliament deserve this vacation”

MP of the government Ravi Rutna argues that the members of parliament fully deserve this long recess. He states that it has been the tradition, ever since independence, for the parliamentarians to sit for three months and go on vacation for another three months. For him, there is nothing new in this way of working and there have been no exaggerations on the part of the government.

“In all Commonwealth countries, the same practice prevails. The work of government is more on the field than inside the four walls of parliament. In parliament, laws are passed but the real work is done on the field. If there is no sitting in parliament, this does not imply work is not being done. Ministers and MPs still do their work. We are working so that the country attains continuous progress. There have been weeks where parliament has met for three to four days,” he adds.

Ravi Rutna explains that during these periods of time, the MPs or the Ministers do follow-ups of different projects and there are several inter-ministerial meetings that are conducted. “If all the works are only done in parliament and nothing concrete is done on the field, then nothing will be accomplished. As far as the parliamentary work is concerned, everything is done in the time frame set.”

If all the works are only done in parliament and nothing concrete is done on the field, then nothing will be accomplished.

Commenting on the debate of bills and other parliamentary works, he says that the government has reached its target when it comes to implementation and adoption of all its Bills. “We met our targets. Now there is work for new Bills. The Attorney General’s department will work on new Bills and when the sessions start, debates and other works can be preceded. Moreover, it is the responsibility of Ministers and other MPs to see to it that work is being done across various departments of the public sector. Sometimes, working on the field is even more tedious that we may think of.”

What happens if there is urgency? To this question, the MP recalls that if ever there is a national urgency and there is need for parliament to meet, there are certain provisions which can be made. “If there are serious issues, parliament can meet even if it is on holiday. But for simple constituency issues like water or electricity issues, the MP of the constituency knows how to handle such a situation, there is no need for the parliament to resolve the issue.”

Ajay Daby : “It should be reasonable and relative”

Former speaker of the National Assembly, Ajay Daby recalls that the tradition for parliamentarians to go on recess has been in existence since long and there are no set rules for this. He reveals that parliament can be prorogated for more than 11 months.

“Usually, parliament meets for public business and the government takes various decisions. Normally, after the budget and debates, the parliaments go into vacation to allow for some administrative works,” he explains.

He further highlights that there should be a line drawn between a break for the end of year and a break after intense debates. “Break for the end of year should be long. The vacation should be reasonable and relative. There is also the fact that in Mauritius, the length for vacation is more than in any other country. However, despite the long vacation, consultations continue for the smooth running of all the works.”

There is also the fact that in Mauritius, the length for vacation is more than in any other country. However, despite the long vacation, consultations continue for the smooth running of all the works.

Ajay Daby underscores that despite the lengthy vacations, he really hopes that the government respects its timeline and the Bills proposed. “The government must ensure that the legislative procedures do not suffer and that the time allocated for them are respected. There should be no back lock and dumping of Bills. It is unjust and not a good practice. What happens often is that when a Bill is proposed, there is a first reading and then voting is done.”

Another issue, as observed by the former Speaker, is matter arising for a constituency. “Whenever there is a recess, the MPs of the different constituencies cannot raise any matter happening in their constituency but in some cases, a committee can be met. Nevertheless, if there are urgencies, an early recall of parliament can be called. In the past, there have been a couple of such cases.”