On Monday, the oral questions session in the House of Representatives witnessed the withdrawal of the opposition teams in protest against the refusal of the House office to enforce the requirements of Article 152 of the House’s rules of procedure.
Article 152 stipulates that female and male deputies have the right to speak at the end of the weekly session devoted to oral questions to speak on a general and urgent topic that requires shedding light on it and informing the national public opinion about it.
After rejecting the opposition’s requests, the chairperson said she would suspend the session for 10 minutes to consult with the council’s bureau.
After the session resumed, the chairwoman announced that the council’s bureau had upheld its decision, prompting the opposition teams to leave the room in protest.
The opposition’s protest stems from the council’s refusal, on more than one occasion, to grant them the right to speak at the end of the session, which they considered a “muzzling of the right to expression and the exercise of parliamentary oversight.”
For their part, representatives of the majority believe that activating Article 152 would “prolong the sessions and disrupt the work of the council.”
It is noteworthy that oral question sessions are dedicated to holding the government accountable on various current issues, and are witnessing wide participation by MPs and the press.
The withdrawal of the opposition from the oral question session sparked widespread debate on social media, with some followers expressing solidarity with the opposition’s position, while others considered the decision to withdraw exaggerated.
Some voices also called for the need to find a consensual solution between the majority and the opposition to ensure the smooth functioning of parliamentary work and the optimal activation of parliamentary oversight mechanisms.
Source : Fez News Media