By Loretta B Manele
Harry Kuma, the minister for Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration (MCILI) said it is disappointing that the Constitution Amendment of the Constituent Assembly Sitting Bill 2024 was not passed in parliament.
He expressed this when speaking at the Sine Die Motion in parliament on Thursday 19th, last month.
Kuma stated that he respects the rights of other MPs who voted against the amendment but thinks that it is a disappointment.
“I think this Constitution Amendment, Constituent Assembly Sitting Bill 2024 is a very simple amendment.
It is simply the change of date and number”
Kuma said they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the bill along with lengthy time and processes.
He added that they are at the final phase of the bill where they are starting to put the draft into the system to come to parliament.
“It is an important piece of constitution amendment that we should simply pass”
In relation, Kuma said they also have to look at the cost of the new system, the federal state system.
Along with the cost of operating the new system, Kuma mentioned that the revenue sharing arrangement is also another thing they would like to see with benefits going more to the states when the bill is passed.
He pointed out that there is of course the matter of which some provinces may be disadvantaged given that they don’t really have much resources compared to others.
Kuma emphasized that these are important things they should quickly look into and they need to make sure that this bill must protect our unity and not disintegrate our country.
“The identity of our country is very important in the consideration of this constitutional reform”
Kuma again stressed that it is a disappointment that the bill was not passed however it is the right of MPs to vote the way they did.
