By HARLYNE JOKU
PARLIAMENT was adjourned for a day yesterday morning due to lack of quorum.
According to Parliament Standing Orders, 37 MPs must be present for Parliament to commence. The session normally begins at 10am.
Members of the public and media waited for over an hour yesterday morning while the bells rung for MPs to attend.
The clerk briefly suspended Parliament to allow time for MPs to arrive. After the second ringing of bells there was still no quorum. At 11.10am, the clerk announced in the chamber that due to a lack of quorum, Parliament would be adjourned to 10am today. Only 27 MPs were present.
According to a source at the Clerk’s office, Parliament Standing Orders need to be amended in order to pay daily sitting allowances to MPs according to attendance.
He said this was how it used to be previously in the days of then Speaker Dennis Young.
But since the amendment of the Standing Order in 1997, he said MPs do not receive a sitting allowance directly but a transport and accommodation allowance to cover the duration of Parliament session on top of their pay.
Previously, MPs received a sitting allowance per day of K130. The allowances were paid according to their attendance at sessions, the source said.
He said an attendance record was kept.
He said today, whether an MP attends Parliament or misses a day, they are still are paid their accommodation and transport allowances on top of their fortnightly salaries.
The executive officer to Salaries and Remunerations Committee Jack Bagita said that he would need clearance from the Clerk to release any information relating to MPs’ salaries and perks and privileges.

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