Board of House of Representatives Holds Weekly Meeting on Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

The Board of the House of Representatives held its weekly meeting under the chairmanship of the House’s Speaker Habib El Malki on Wednesday, May 13^th, 2020. The meeting was devoted to control, legislation, and the organization of the works of the House.

Regarding Control, the Board has decided to convene two sittings on Monday, May 18^th. The first sitting will be devoted to oral questions, which will cover national education, vocational training, and scientific research, under the format of questions followed by a debate. The Board has also decided to convene a joint plenary sitting with the House of Councilors, under Article 68 of the Constitution, which will be devoted to the presentation by the Head of Government of information on the developments of managing the sanitary lockdown after May 20^th.

As for legislation, the Board set the agenda of the legislative sitting that will be held on Wednesday, May 13^th, and devoted to examining and voting on the Government bill enacting special provisions on the contracts relating to travel and tourist stay, and on the contracts relating to air transportation of passengers.

The Board of the House also discussed the management of the Government and parliamentary bills submitted to committees, and their scheduling to vote on them. The Board reviewed the importance of the legislative initiatives, which are more than 190 parliamentary bills submitted by the parliamentary groups and caucus to meet the legislative needs in economic, cultural, social, and environmental sectors. The Board focused specifically on the parliamentary bills submitted to House during the sanitary lockdown, which were fourteen. These bills covered economic, financial, and managerial matters that are related to the laws on engagements and contracts, compensation for workplace accidents, consumer protection, the state of public health emergency, the pharmaceutical code, and the framework law on the healthcare system. Some of the bills included provisions on the deliberative meetings of local communes and limited liability companies.

The Board confirmed the efficiency of this legislative contribution, and its importance for the citizens to face the impacts of COVID-19 on formalities and management of some institutions. The Board has later decided to correspond with the Head of Government to find a formula for scheduling these parliamentary bills at the earliest convenience.

The Board has also decided to correspond with the chairpersons of parliamentary groups and caucus to call them to take the necessary measures in the same regard.

Besides, the Board discussed the precautionary measures adopted within committees and at the plenary sittings. In this respect, the Board affirmed the effectiveness of the decisions taken since the start of the sanitary lockdown, commending the efforts of deputies in participating actively in the works of the House, either through their presence or through online participation.

Also, the Board reviewed the importance of the legislative activity led by the standing committees this week, as the Productive Sectors Committee held a meeting on the Government bill enacting special provisions on the contracts relating to travel and tourist stay, and the contracts relating to air transportation of passengers. The Committee unanimously adopted the bill after introducing fundamental amendments to its provisions.

The Board also noted the importance of the meeting held by the Education, Culture and Communication Committee with the participation of the Minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education, and Scientific Research, which was devoted to discussing matters of education, the measures taken during the sanitary lockdown, the prospects of work, and future programs.

In addition, the Board noted the rate of work of the standing committees at the levels of legislation and control, which matched, with a spirit of responsibility and patriotism, the concerns and issues of the public opinion.