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buba
57 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Jan 2008 : 19:34:31
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Our Members of Parliament (MPs) or National Assembly Members (NAMs as they are called now) have a very important role to play. It is therefore extremely essential that Citizens to be representing their Parties and People are carefully selected.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. In most cases, selections are based on fame, influence within the party (including how well connected one is to people holding the 'strings'). As a result, the National Assembly is not only full with NAMs who do not only appreciate issues, but they become 'yesmen'...effectively making them 'human rubber stamps'.
Recently, there was a debate regarding the Africa/Europe Trade Partnership Agreement. With the exception of few NAMs, including Hon. Sidia Jatta, who advised his colleagues to be mindful of the west,and explaining his rational for such an advice, the bill got endorsed anyway.
What the agreement tries to do in short is make our raw materials available to the Europeans. To facilitate that, the Europeans will charge less duties on those raw materials. To every rational human being, this is a good deal. So what is the problem?
The problem is that while they will be charging less for the export of our raw materials, they will on the other hand impose more charges on our export for our finished products. This is where the trade imbalance starts to surface...but only if you can read between the lines. If not, you may be tempted to say: 1 + 1 = 2; 2 x 1 = 2, so fair enough.
What is being hidden by the Europeans is that they are seeking our raw materials but at the same time protecting their manufacturing industries from external competition...in some cases, these external competitors are cheaper. The implication for that is loss of sale for their industries and the ultimate price to pay is to lay some employees off. This is the last thing any European leader wants.
So by 'weakning' our export trade (and note that Europe is our main trading partner), our manufacturing industries will sooner or later start to lose business. What will follow is not only laying employees off, but some of our manufacturing industries will close thereby creating further unemployment and escalation of poverty.
The European leaders were very much aware of this when they flew out to Lisbon, Portugal for the grand summit with Africa. While our own NAMs approved the deal, at Continental level, it was rejected thanks to Presidents like Mugabe, Kufor, Mbeki, Wade, etc.
To our NAMs, i say: please do not rush through matters of such national importance. The time has come to be analytical of issues before passing them.
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Edited by - buba on 22 Jan 2008 19:35:51 |
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kaanibaa
United Kingdom
1169 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2008 : 20:53:56
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| A good advice but suspect this would fall on deaf ears what they would do is as always , sit and wait for a signal from the authority and they will rush to join the band wagon.After all they rubber stamp all deeds and requests from the Chief Executive to wit The Head of State without ant questions whatsoever.Expecting any the different from them is wishful thinking .The likes of Seedia are an exception to the rule and such men of culture and intellectual prowess do not jump onto any band wagon rather than that they carry out research and depend on current studies of economic and relevant affairs as their thermometers on such matters.Give them all the hints you want bro but listen they shant |
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