Reserved Seats for Women in Parliament

Now that the Constitutional Amendment for Reserved Seats has been gazetted by the Speaker, it requires a period of 21 days before the Bill is presented in Parliament and debated by Members of Parliament. 

Hopefully the Bill will be debated in the third week of this month. 

If the MPs support it and vote for it, it will then be presented in the July sitting for the final reading.

Many of us are looking forward to the first debate on the Bill which hopefully will not be overshadowed by the Maladina Amendments ( re-Ombudsman Commission).

Apparently, the Reserved Seats decision term rests with Parliament. I heard that the current move is temporary and I have been told there is no mention in the proposed laws for the term of office.  

It could range up to two to three terms.  By which time, women who do make it to Parliament in 2012 would have excelled themselves and can try the constituency seats. Albeit we would need the Reserved Seats for some time for the impact to be felt.  

At the end of the day it depends on who gets in 2012 to make the difference.