MPs told to mind house decorum on online meeting

An appeal has gone out to all Members of Parliament (MPs) who are attending the proceedings virtually to abide by the House`s standing orders.

The plea follows widespread concerns on how some lawmakers are presenting themselves when contributing in the House via a video as they are seen without parliamentary dress code and unfamiliar setting.

Government Chief Whip Kezzie Msukwa, who relayed the concerns in the August House, described it as both unfortunate and worrisome to note how some legislators are attending the deliberations without following the decorum of the honourable House.

“What we are saying is that whether in this chamber or outside the chamber, this time is parliament time so we still have to observe the code of dressing.

“They have to be in an office so that they are able to parliamentary proceedings in a manner that they would have been to attend where she or he was in parliament physically,” he said.

Msukwa has reminded the lawmakers that whether they are attending the sitting via a video link, they should always be mindful about the standing orders.

“Even the environment where one ought to be, he or she has to be dressed such that he is in an office, we don’t want to see MPs wanting to take on Zoom and they are either seating on a bed, in a field or whatever,” said Msukwa.

The House resorted to hybrid way of conducting proceeding following the second wave of coronavirus which has also claimed both lives of cabinet ministers and MPs.

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