The make‑believe parliament was divided into two compartments. The government sat on one side with cabinet ministers sitting in the front benches and ordinary MPs in the backbenches, and the fake opposition side comprising a shadow cabinet and a phoney opposition leader sitting on the other side.
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In his opening remarks during the inauguration of the first all‑black parliament, President Moibutu‑dada continued, “Honorable members, I have much pleasure in welcoming you to this honorable house. This is a great day for black Africans to be in this house where we shall be expressing our views freely without favor or fear.
“You all know that before our self‑rule, no African could even step near the gates of this parliament without being arrested. But today you can even urinate in the pr
