The speaker of the National Assembly, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, says legislative delays in the parliament are caused by parliamentary rules. This comes after Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) director Graham Hopwood raised concerns about delays in passing laws weakening the ability of a government to govern. Responding to questions sent to her last week, the speaker said rules are set by the assembly itself, and not by her. The rules of parliament determine what happens during each parliament sitting and in what sequence, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said. Now that Swapo’s majority in the parliament has decreased, opposition parties are asking critical questions before laws are passed.