SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT ENGAGES ACADEMICS

On 22nd September, 2017, the Speaker of Parliament, the Right Honorable Richard Msowoya, MP, engaged the academic community of Chancellor College through the delivery of a public lecture entitled “Taking Parliament to the People: Engaging the University”. The lecture was delivered in a jampacked Great Hall, to an audience mainly comprising of students and staff.

During the function, staff from Parliament handed out various informative documents to participants, with the aim of enlightening the populace on how parliament functions. In his welcome remarks, the Principal Prof. Richard Tambulasi observed that both parties stood to benefit from the talks. “Events such as these demystify the Parliament, so that people understand critical issues that their Members of Parliament are engaged in. At the same time, the Speaker has the chance to understand and appreciate the academic environment.”

The Speaker focused his talk on the “50 plus 1” electoral system, proposed for presidential elections. He pointed out that this system would ensure that the victor in the elections has the votes of over half of the (voting) population.

In the discussions that ensued, the audience asked a variety of questions, which were tackled by the Speaker, other Members of Parliament present, and lecturers in Political Science. These questions touched on issues such as the Head of State’s reluctance to visit Parliament to answer questions, the Financial management of funds in Parliament, as well as the issue of the dress code, among others.