Board of House of Representatives Holds Weekly Meeting on Tuesday, June 9th, 2020

The Board of the House of Representatives held its weekly meeting on Tuesday, June 9^th, 2020, under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Habib El Malki. The meeting tackled topics related to Government control and legislation.

As for Government Control, the Board set the plenary sitting devoted to questions on general policy addressed to the Head of Government to tackle the Government’s plan to lift the sanitary lockdown. The sitting will be held on Wednesday, June 10^th, at 3:00 p.m.

The Board of the House also approved the program of the plenary sittings devoted to oral questions, which includes scheduling three Ministries in each sitting, under the format of questions followed by a debate. In this respect, the sitting that will be held on June 15^th will cover the Ministries of Interior, Religious Endowments and Islamic Affairs, and Justice.

During the same meeting, the House’s Board evaluated the weekly sittings convened by the House since the declaration of the sanitary lockdown and the state of public health emergency. The participants highlighted the quality and efficiency of the approaches adopted concerning the organization of the sittings and active political participation. These sittings were followed by a large proportion of the national public opinion.

Besides, the Board noted that enlarging the scope of interpellation to encompass three Ministries will enable the deputies to enquire comprehensively on numerous questions and preoccupations that concern several sectors. Hence, it will allow a more profound knowledge of citizens’ issues and concerns during the peculiar circumstances the world and our country are undergoing.

Additionally, the Board of the House noted the remarkable and focused effort of the standing committees with regard to their competences in Government control. In this context, the Board stressed the importance of the meetings convened by the Social Sectors Committee and the Productive Sectors Committee with the Minister of Labor and Vocational Integration and the Minister of Industry, Trade, Green and Digital Economy. The meetings tackled, according to each committee’s specialty, the situation of wage earners, the measures adopted to assist the affected ones, and the programs taken to revive the productive economic and trade mechanisms.

Concerning legislation, the Board reiterated the importance of the parliamentary initiative in legislation, marked by around 37 parliamentary bills, 25 of which were submitted during the sanitary lockdown. The bills covered economic, social, and security-related aspects. Also, the Board stressed the importance of respecting the convention of the monthly sitting devoted to examining parliamentary bills. The Board also called on committees and the Government to coordinate to achieve the said goal.

In addition, the Board reviewed a parliamentary bill amending the Dhahir operating as Act of Engagements and Contracts and referred it to the Justice, Legislation, and Human Rights Committee. The Board also referred a parliamentary bill on compensation for loss of office to the Social Sectors Committee.

As regards Government bills, the Board received a Government bill relative to the electronic national identity card and referred it to the Internal Affairs, Communes, Housing, and Urban Policy Committee.

About the Amending Finance Bill, and in wait for the formal submission of its draft version to the House after fulfilling the related legal procedures, the House’s Speaker presented the provisions regulating this legislative matter. Considering the importance of the subject, the participants have decided to pursue the debate and consultation with the different components of the House, Government, and House of Councilors to prepare accordingly for the examination and adoption of the said bill.