The Prime Minister and nine cabinet members completely abstained from the 24th session of the National Assembly, a recent report has revealed, highlighting significant absenteeism that also saw 54 parliamentarians not attend a single proceeding.
According to an attendance report by the Free and Fair Election Network today, the session, which spanned seven sittings from February 2 to February 12, was marked by inconsistent participation. While 52 members of the 332-strong house attended all sittings, an equal proportion of 16 percent, or 54 lawmakers, made no appearance at all.
Attendance levels fluctuated dramatically throughout the session. The inaugural sitting recorded the highest presence with 219 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), constituting 66 percent of the membership. Conversely, participation plummeted to its lowest point during the third sitting, with only 110 MNAs (33 percent) present.
The executive branch”s attendance was particularly sparse. Among cabinet members from the National Assembly, just two federal ministers were present for every sitting. In contrast, nine ministers-six federal and three ministers of state-were recorded as absent for the entire duration of the session.
A stark contrast was observed between the heads of the government and the opposition. The Leader of the Opposition attended all seven sittings, whereas the Prime Minister did not attend any.
This widespread absenteeism directly impacted parliamentary business. During the crucial Question Hour, only six of the 19 federal ministers scheduled to provide answers were present on their designated day. Similarly, of the three ministers required to address Calling Attention Notices, one was absent, with their responsibilities being covered by the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
The report indicates that a vast majority of legislators, 280 MNAs or 84 percent of the house, missed at least one sitting during the session.