2010-07-02 肯尼亚国会议员加薪 Kenya MPs Hike Salary

肯尼亚国会议员一致通过一项为他们自己大幅加薪的动议。一个月之后,肯尼亚将对新宪法进行表决,如果新宪法通过,国会议员为自己加薪将成为非法行为。

从星期四开始,国会议员的月薪将由1万零5百美元上涨到接近1万3千5百美元。

肯尼亚的年人均国内生产总值只有783美元。

一名政治家为加薪辩护,称再多钱也无法补偿国会议员肩负的“重大责任”。

然而,肯尼亚民众抗议这项决定。一名政治压力组织的领导人对美国之音说,他的团队将把国会议员告上法庭,并威胁说,如果法庭拒绝审理此案,将采取大规模的行动。

Lawmakers in Kenya have unanimously approved a motion to give themselves a hefty pay raise, only a month before the country votes on a new constitution that would make it illegal for them to set their own salaries.

Starting Thursday, members of parliament will be paid nearly $13,500 a month, up from about $10,500.

The per capita GDP in Kenya is just $783 a year.

One politician argued in favor of the pay hike, saying no amount of money would be enough to adequately compensate a member of parliament for the “heavy responsibility” he shoulders.

But Kenyans are protesting the decision. The head of a political pressure group told VOA his group will take the lawmakers to court for the pay hike, and threatened mass action if the court refused to hear his case.

VOA Learning English

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