By Chisomo Phiri
Governance experts Victor Chipofya and Wonderful Mkhutche have expressed disappointment over the absence of some ministers and members of parliament from parliamentary proceedings since the opening of the 50th session of parliament.
The two deem this trend unfortunate and detrimental to the citizenry, advocating for stringent measures against such individuals.
Chipofya emphasizes the need to scrutinize the caliber of representatives
“We must evaluate the character of those we elect, as responsible individuals would not abscond when their contributions are crucial to the nation,” he says.
On the other hand,Mkhutche suggests that the speaker of the house should maintain an accessible register of attendance for ministers and MPs, enabling constituents to monitor their representation.
On Thursday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Vice President for the Southern region Joseph Mwanamvekha expressed worry about the absenteeism of some ministers, stressing that certain questions require responses from responsible ministers.