When the National Assembly is summoned, the Secretary publishes a notification in the Gazette stating the date, time, and place and issues a notice to every member. In emergencies — sessions called within 72 hours — the summons is published in the Gazette and announced on radio, television, and through the press, with urgent mail replacing normal notices.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The requirement of Gazette notification before the National Assembly can be summoned is a transparency obligation. It prevents a government from convening Parliament secretly or with selective notification. The emergency provision uses broadcast media as a backup, recognizing that urgency cannot override the principle of notification.
What is in it for citizens?
Citizens have the right to know when the Assembly is being called. A session convened without a Gazette notification would be procedurally defective. This is the basis on which civil society and legal practitioners can challenge irregular sessions.
Source: Rule 3, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 20 times.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.
