Business Day
*MPs reject proposed changes to ‘secrecy bill’* *Wyndham Hartley, Business Day, Johannesburg, 18 November 2011*CAPE TOWN — Filibustering Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Mario Ambrosini found himself isolated yesterday when other opposition parties joined the African National Congress (ANC) in rejecting the amendments he proposed to the "secrecy bill".
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African Christian Democratic Party expressed the hope that further progress could be made on outstanding issues such as a public-interest defence when the bill went to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.
Mr Ambrosini forced a delay in the processing of the Protection of State Information Bill in the National Assembly on Wednesday by, with the support of the Freedom Front Plus, placing 123 amendments on the order paper. This move, seen by many as a filibuster, forced the assembly to reconstitute the ad hoc committee that dealt with the bill.
When the ad hoc committee met yesterday afternoon, ANC committee chairman said Mr Ambrosini’s amendments were aired in the committee as long ago as mid-September and so no lengthy motivation was needed. He allowed Mr Ambrosini 10 minutes to explain why he had brought the amendments.
Mr Ambrosini acknowledged he was not popular as a result of the action he had taken and insisted that all his suggested amendments were of substance and would make the controversial bill a better legislative product. He offered to withdraw 120 of the amendments if the committee gave serious attention to what he considered three key clauses.
DA MP Dene Smuts said she accepted the decision by the National Assembly speaker to reconstitute the committee but, after having studied the amendments, would not accept them. She also rejected the compromise offer by Mr Ambrosini.
African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart said there was doubt as to whether the amendments were properly before the committee because the rule used by Mr Ambrosini said no amendment previously rejected by the committee could be brought back through rule 254. He said his party was reluctant to support Mr Ambrosini.
A suggestion that the proposals be rejected in one motion caused an objection from Mr Ambrosini that each amendment had to considered in turn. Mr Burgess then, erring on the side of caution so as to achieve legal certainty, began the tedious process of putting each of the 123 amendments to the vote.
ANC MP Luwellyn Landers proposed each time that an amendment be rejected and all other parties supported him, leaving Mr Ambrosini isolated.
Separately, the Right2Know Campaign said it rejected State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele ’s assurance during Wednesday’s debate in the National Assembly, that the bill was constitutional.
"In the face of sustained public pressure outside Parliament, the bill has undergone a range of important changes in the past year.
"However, there is still a crucial distance to go before any such legislation is fit for the people of SA," the lobby group said.
"While the bill has been referred to an ad hoc committee to deal with largely technical amendments proposed by the IFP, it is clear that parliamentarians are preparing to vote on the bill without substantial changes."
[email protected] *From: http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=159037* * * -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
<<inline: BusinessDay.gif>>
