Under Rabbani: Mood for change sweeps Senate

Senate chairman has enforced strict rules and introduced new initiatives

ISLAMABAD: Raza Rabbani’s election as Senate’s chairman has started a new chapter of initiatives and observance of rules in the history of the upper house of parliament.

The PPP stalwart took oath of his office on March 12 and submitted details of his assets on day one, setting a precedent for new initiatives and making the proceedings different from the past. The changes have been acknowledged by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who attended the proceedings after a long absence.

The most evident of changes is the observance of rules and timings. The proceedings to start with a delay of at least half an hour on average was otherwise a routine. But since March 12, not a single session has started a minute late than the scheduled time. The entire agenda for the day is taken up now unlike in the past when unfinished business was shifted to the next proceedings.

It is perhaps for the first time the Senate deputy chairman did not preside over a session throughout the first week of the new parliamentary year, as Rabbani is always present in the house. Once the proceedings start, the veteran politician is there to make sure rules are followed, pointing out violations without any hesitation.

The best example came about last Thursday when the Senate chairman chided Rahila Magsi of the ruling PML-N for reading out a written speech against the rules. Rabbani has also not spared speakers for forgetting the deadlines of their speeches. He carries a stop-watch, which starts ticking with the beginning of a speech and right after 10 minutes he politely tells the speaker that his time is over.

Initiatives

The new chairman’s first initiative was the observance of a ‘Constitution Day’ when he organised a ceremony, including a photo exhibition.

The second initiative came with the introduction of a ‘drop box’ feature on the Senate website to allow people to submit their problems and get a chance to participate and own the house.

The third precedent was set as rules of business were revamped, allowing the entire upper house to constitute itself into a committee with powers to ask anyone to appear and any department to provide data on request.

The new rules have also made it mandatory on every minister to report, after every three months, on matters referred to them.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2015.