The 88th session of the Senate was marked by ministerial absences and the persistent lack of quorum, Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) said in its preliminary report on Friday.
Since the Senate’s Secretariat does not make the attendance record public, FAFEN conducts a headcount of legislators at the beginning and end of each sitting and documents the actual time spent on the floor of the House by the chairman, the deputy chairman, the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition.
“On an average, 34 of 104 senators attended each of the seven sessions, while only six were present at the beginning and 19 at the end of each session,” the report said.
According to the report the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition attended the entire session, the chairman was present 59 percent of the time and deputy chairman 22 percent.
The report said five of 10 resolutions were taken up, including one on the attacks on polio workers and another recommending setting up of shelter homes for senior citizens.
“A total of 71 points of order were raised which consumed 198 minutes of the time. However, none of the points of order attracted the chair’s formal ruling,” the report added. Unless the chairman gives a formal ruling on a point of order, it does not lead to any assembly output.
