Unconcerned: 48% MNAs absent from budget debate, says report

Female legislators left their male colleagues behind with 64% participation.

ISLAMABAD:

The first parliamentary year of the National Assembly was marred by absenteeism but with the start of the second, a new phenomenon emerged – the disinterest and non-participation of lawmakers during the 2014-15 budget debate.

The budget session lasted for about two weeks and as many as 165 members out of 342 – 48% – of the MNAs did not participate in the budget debate, says a monitoring report of Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen).

On the other hand, 176 members or 52% of the lower house participated in the debate.

Ironically, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tops the list of those who did not participate in the debate, partly because of its numerical strength and partly because of recurring absenteeism.



As many as 131 members or 69% of the ruling party did not participate in the debate. Only 59 out of PML-N’s 190 members in the National Assembly contributed in the budget session through the submission of agenda items and debating budget-related issues. The actual number of those who spoke about the budgetary proposal is 43, the report added.

The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had 97% participation, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had 74% of its members taking part, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had 88% participation while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) had all its four members present in and contributing to the National Assembly’s budget debate.

While looking at the numbers in terms of gender, it was noted that female members left their male colleagues behind with 64% participation, as 44 out of total 69 female members took part in the session.

The number of male members in the national Assembly is 272 but only 132 or 49% participated in the budget debate.

The data also revealed that participation of MNAs on reserved seats was 65% -- 39 out of the total 69. Meanwhile, five out of the 10 parliamentary representatives of minorities participated in the debate.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2014.