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Student Parliament

Accountability, Transparency and Consultative Governance

UNIVERSITEIT iYUNIVESITHI STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY ?

A Beginner's Gu???ide

Our Parliament is not formed around a constituency basis. The primary rationale is that every voice and every Stellenbosch 肆客足球 student is equally important irrespective of positional authority.

The Student Constitution clearly allocated the responsibility of governance to the Executive, our SRC. It also clearly allocated the responsibility of interpreting the relevant constitutions and policies to an independent Judiciary, our Student Court.

Our mandate is to hold our Executive accountable and transparent. This in essence allows for every student to be constructive partners in addressing the various concerns.

Role and outcomes

Parliament is the platform whereby any student can be heard and ensures that the focus of the Executive's mandate remains student-centred with a special focus on student success.

During the 2011 revision of our Student Constitution the Bill of Student Rights, chapter 2, was specifically added and the various bodies of student governance. This further entrenched the hope of a community based on democratic values, ?social justice and fundamental human rights.

Parliament's role and ultimate outcome is to represent all students and to ensure government by the people under the Constitution.

Functions of Parliament

The outcomes of Parliament will be achieved through advising the relevant decision-makers, overseeing Executive action, facilitating student participation, co-operative government and international participation.

Parliament also has a special focus on upholding the Bill of Student Rights, Chapter 2 of the Student Constitution. It upholds students' political rights, the basic values and principles governing public administration and oversees the implementation of constitutional imperatives.

It actively promotes robust dialogue and makes policy recommendations that prevent or prohibits unfair discrimination. It also holds members of the Executive accountable collectively and individually. Parliament can by a resolution request an SRC member to give an account for their actions to Addendum E of Student Parliament Constitution. It can also institute a vote of no confidence in an SRC member, a number of SRC members or the SRC collectively. Parliament also makes use of a number of committees; standing, ad hoc, portfolio and joint, in order to effectively fulfil its mandate.

Parliament also facilitates public involvement by means of its practices and its committees. As an organ of student governance, Parliament must also assist and protect the Court and other institutions/structures to ensure their independence, impartiality, dignity, accessibility and effectiveness.

Parliament fulfils this mandate by performing the following functions:

Function 1: Make recommendations with regards to Policies and best practices
Function 2: Scrutinize and oversee Executive action
Function 3: Facilitate public participation and involvement in relevant processes
Function 4: Participate in, promote and oversee cooperative government
Function 5: Engage in and participate in international relations

This mandate of Parliament provides direction to set the mission, indicating the purpose of Parliament and describing its main business.

Mission of Parliam??ent

• Build our capacity to effectively fulfil our mandate.
• Strengthen participatory governance.
• Be responsive to the needs of our Student population.
• Strengthen accountability.
• Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of Parliamentary functions and systems.
• Strengthen Constitutional democracy.
• Strengthen financial oversight and transparency.
• Promote consultative governance?

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