Our laws have no place for frivolous impeachments

One of the most important powers given by the Constitution to our legislators is the power to impeach members of the Executive. The framers of the Constitution were informed by our history, where the Executive had run roughshod over the whole country, unaccountable and untouchable. In our previous dispensation, impeaching the President was a suicidal act, as it would lead to a fresh election not just for the President but the MPs. As for members of Cabinet, the President had unfettered discretion in hiring and firing his team, and could routinely ignore any votes of no confidence from the House.

In our current Constitution, matters are reversed; the President and the Governors can now be impeached without necessitating a joint election. As for the Cabinet Secretaries, the passage of a vote of no confidence now obliges the President to fire a Cabinet Secretary.