Since the Act that established the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) came into effect, there have been hiccups, as noted by the Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Sesay, in effectively steering the Commission’s mandate to expedite the administrative activities of the House of Parliament.
Honourable Sesay being the Clerk appointed in the wake of the Commission’s establishment, yesterday summoned a meeting to which donor partners who have contributed and are still contributing to maintenance of the independence of the Commission were invited. He expressed gratitude for their support and explained the challenges faced by the Commission.
The donor representatives who included EU, UNICEF, UNFPA UNAIDS, IOM and DFID, were welcomed by the Deputy Clerk, Mohamed Lebbie. He acknowledged the efforts of the donors for pushing the affairs of the Commission through the Parliamentary Assistance Coordinating Office (PACO). He said the meeting would was to find a way forward to move the commission ahead and to avoid duplication in the support of their donors.
Clerk of Parliament disclosed that the establishment of the Commission was an initiation of President Koroma a couple of years ago when he was Opposition Leader in Parliament. He called for the total autonomy of the Commission, noting that it is only when it is autonomous would it be able to perform its discharge its functions as expected.
Outlining the challenges facing the Parliamentary Service Commission, he mentioned the lack of adequate qualified staff (especially Finance and Human Resource Directors), and the lack of capacity of Parliamentarians to effectively conduct their oversight responsibilities, lack of mobility and the need to upgrade the House’s IT. The Clerk of Parliament disclosed that all of these could not be implemented due to lack of funds. “This is the reason why members of the public are not too aware of the work of parliament and Members of Parliament,” the Clerk said.
Hon. Sesay revealed that as Parliament sets for closure this September for the 2012 elections, there is need for parliament as an institution to properly brace itself for the challenges since it will be having new members. He posited that some Members of Parliament need to be trained in order to motivate their contributions in parliament. He disclosed, “There are some MPs who do not have the boldness to even say hello to the Speaker. This is not to say they don’t want to talk in parliament; it is merely due to their lack of understanding of the Parliamentary Standing Orders which empowers them to make contributions in parliament.”
He also added as a challenge, the 30% quota being clamored for by women, noting that Parliament needs to be prepared in order to measure up with its deliberations.
These problems, the Clerk maintained cuts across every sector of Parliament. “I am outlining all of these in order to foster the smooth running of Parliament,” the Clerk stated.
He said improving the IT system within the House would help the Parliamentarians greatly in their research work on certain complex issues they would be debating on, and that means of mobility would enhance the oversight work of Parliamentarians.
However, the EU representative explained the various interventions by the donor community to Parliament and cautioned that the House “should not be too dependent on donors, if it is to maintain its independence in the face of good governance and democracy.
By Poindexter Sama