[Kictanet] Fwd: Nationmedia.com News: Kigali: Where MPs debate and vote in a simple click

Tue Oct 31 21:29:05 EAT 2006

Collegues?

When is this likely to hit the Kenyan August House?

Edith

>
>Threats of computer viruses are the biggest nightmare for the Rwandan 
>Senate and Parliament, which have fully embraced state-of-the-art technology.
>
>This is a sharp contrast to the Kenya National Assembly where normal 
>business is regularly interrupted owing to lack of quorum.
>
>The Senate and the Lower House are fully computerised and rank among the 
>most modern on the continent, only second to South Africa.
>
>Unlike in Kenya, where one has to pass a language test (English and 
>Kiswahili), in Rwanda, a senator must be a university graduate and 
>computer literate, in addition to being trilingual (Rwandese, English and 
>French).
>
>The debating chambers of the Senate and Parliament are virtually 
>paperless. This new initiative headed by President Paul Kagame has 
>resulted in a drastic reduction of costs on stationary, while boosting 
>efficiency and transparency.
>
>The debating chambers and the precinct of the two buildings, which are in 
>two different houses about five kilometres apart, are ICT-complaint. There 
>are internet services for all senators and deputies (members of 
>parliament) 24 hours a day.
>
>Because of the new technology, all senators and MPs must be computer 
>literate and carry lap-top computers, supplied by the government, to the 
>debating chamber and/or to the committee meetings.
>
>Even staff at the Senate and the Lower House are required to use the 
>information super-highway to communicate with each other and with senators 
>and MPs.
>
>Citizens can get virtually all information they want on their senators and 
>MPs by a touch of a button. They can also know what is on the day's order 
>paper, the Bills being discussed, which committees are meeting; and what 
>is being discussed.
>
>This is unlike the Kenyan Parliament where the new technology has not been 
>embraced fully, what with the august House yet to launch its website! 
>Committee meetings are also held in camera, as per the standing orders.
>
>During a visit to the Senate early last week, seven staffers of the Kenya 
>National Assembly were mesmerised by the ultra-modern building and ICT 
>system that has been integrated.
>
>The sub-committee was chaired by Mr Harry Owino, a senior systems analyst. 
>It was on a fact-finding mission to the Great Lakes country to study how 
>it has embraced ICT in the Legislature, and how the same could be 
>replicated in Kenya.
>
>The tour was part of the team's mandate to come up with targets and 
>results to improve service delivery in the Kenya National Assembly, within 
>100 days. It was part of the rapid results initiative launched by the 
>Government, through the Head of the Civil Service and Secretary to the 
>Cabinet, Mr Francis Muthaura, two months ago
>
>Resembles UN facilities
>
>The debating chamber of the Rwanda Senate resembles the faculties of the 
>United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, where each member has his 
>or her seat, plus a name tag on it and a microphone.
>
>In Kenya, members of the front bench and the back bench seat on benches 
>facing each other, with the Speaker (Mr Francis ole Kaparo) in the middle.
>
>Plans to modernise the building, start live coverage and launch a website 
>have been pending for the past five years.
>
>The Rwandese Senate has an electronic board which shows how many members 
>are present and how they have voted, either for, against or abstained. 
>Lack of quorum has so far not been a problem, according to the Senate 
>President, Dr Vincent Biruta.
>
>He said members were committed and had a high sense of integrity and 
>patriotism. "In addition to the website, we are also reaching out to the 
>public through a magazine focusing on issues before us, and how they 
>relate to all."
>
>But Dr Biruta regretted that unlike the Kenyan media, which was aggressive 
>and gave the Legislature lots of coverage in the print and broadcast 
>media, the opposite was the case in Rwanda. Where they have been invited 
>to attend sessions, they have shied away.
>
>"We even send them a summary of the day's proceedings and only a few FM 
>and TV stations use them," the Senate President said.
>
>The Senate was established three years ago under the new Constitution, 
>following the genocide a decade ago. It receives Bills from the Lower 
>House that have been passed, studies them and either endorses or rejects 
>them. If they are passed, they are sent to the Head of State for assent 
>into law.
>
>The proceedings are covered live by video and are and tape recorded. All 
>debates in the Senate and Lower House are in the national language, 
>Rwandese. They are recorded in the Hansard (verbatim reports) in that 
>language.
>
>But Motions which are passed are translated into English and French for 
>public consumption.
>
>When the Kenyan team visited the Lower House on Wednesday afternoon, it 
>was introduced to the members during debate and given an opportunity to 
>follow the talks through a translator.
>
>By then, two ministers were on the floor responding to public concerns 
>raised by their MPs, on poor infrastructure, water shortages and power 
>blackouts.
>
>Had 20 minutes to respond
>
>The two ministers, Mr Kamanzi Stanislos and Mr Musoni Protais, were at 
>pains to explain to members why the grievances had not been addressed. 
>Each had 20 minutes to respond to all the concerns gathered by a 
>parliamentary committee during a recent field visit. No supplementary 
>question was allowed, as is the case in the Kenyan Parliament.
>
>The debating chamber resembled a UN conference. It was orderly and issues 
>orientated. If that was in Kenya, an MP would ask a personal question and 
>the Speaker would allow him or her to ask a supplementary question. Other 
>MPs were also free to raise points of order and hijack the member's question.
>
>We heard the voice of the speaker of the Lower House only at the beginning 
>and at the end of the minister's presentation. He was dressed in a black 
>suit and matching tie, and had no wig, unlike the Kenyan speaker.
>
>The members could dress formally in suits or casually, in Mandela shirts.
>
>All the Senators have seats reserved for them, with their own microphones 
>placed on a table. As they enjoy leather seats, they can also connect 
>their lap-tops to the system and access the day's order paper, Bills 
>pending and those that have been passed.
>
>By the touch of a button, the Senators can vote for or against a motion or 
>Bill placed before them. The idea is to have a "paperless" debating chamber.
>
>Success of the ICT programme in the Senate and the Lower House has been 
>due to political goodwill by the Head of State and donors, as well as 
>contributions by UNDP, USAID, Microsoft and CISCO, among other organisations.
>
>
>
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