Speaker calls on parliament to put people first

Newly appointed speaker of the National Assembly Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has called on the country’s eighth parliament to prioritise the interests of Namibians above political or personal gain.

Speaking at the induction and orientation seminar for members of the eighth parliament in the capital yesterday, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said members, as representatives of different political parties, may differ as competitors, but should collectively represent the interests of all Namibians.

“As representatives of political parties, we will of course differ, and as competitors, that competition will play out on the floor sometimes, but that should not become the order of the day.

“At the end of the day, we are collectively representatives of all Namibians and their interests must take precedence over our political parties’ interests and whatever personal differences we may have as individuals,” she said.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the start of the eighth parliamentary term coincides with the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

As such, the new parliament is required to address critical matters such as the approval of the budget for the upcoming year, which must be passed in time to ensure public institutions are equipped with the necessary resources to discharge their functions and deliver services to Namibians.

“As a new parliament, we will also need to deal with a number of other important national issues that are very pressing.

“We, therefore, have to hit the ground running to be able to meet the expectations of our people, our electorate – both in terms of our timelines for dealing with important national issues and the effectiveness with which we do so.”

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the eighth parliament also coincides with the final five years leading to 2030, by which time Namibia envisions a transformed society.

“We now have to build on our successes and learn from our experiences to make further progress. While the challenges we face are significant, they are not insurmountable.

“With unity of purpose that is now across political parties, with resilience and innovation, we can achieve much more than we have been able to,” the speaker added.