10.07.20
Speaker of the National assembly has continued to act consistently in a very shallow and shameless way in his rulings and in his failure to uphold his duties and the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia.
To expect honourable Mweetwa to apologise for simply stating the facts due to the lies the Vice President (Dis) honourable Inonge Wina peddled on the floor of the house is being shallow and shameless of Speaker Matibini and his action is unreasonable and unjustifiable in an open and democratic society based on freedom of speech and equality and accordingly fails the limitations test set in the Constitution of Zambia. The facts are that the Vice President lied on the floor of the house to the people of Zambia that the opposition UPND was behind the gassing criminal activities and by lying she became shallow, shameless and dishonourable. Matibini should not defend the indefensible.
The ruling as issued to Honourable Mweetwa to apologise is therefore invalid because it is inconsistent and incompatible with the republican constitution. When the ruling of the Speaker of the National Assembly breaches the provisions of the Constitution, the aggrieved party is entitled to seek redress from the courts, to which is entrusted the task of ensuring the supremacy of the Constitution. Parliament is subject to the republican constitution and to the judiciary processes through the courts of the land.
The ruling to apologise by Matibini has the effect to undermine the functions of an elected Member of Parliament who represents the people who voted him into parliament. The ruling therefore undermines the electorates.
I wish to remind Speaker Matibini that both him as a Speaker and parliament have no powers to act mala fide and the Constitution was not intended to authorise bias on the part of the speaker. The core aspects of the speaker’s functions are regulated by the so called lex parliament which prescribes that the speaker be completely impartial and unbiased and non partisan.
We have for the past few years noted Matibini biasness from the time he failed to take over power during the Presidential petition and continues to do so through his biased rulings.
Speaker Matibini is ill equipped to comply with the demanding standards associated with the high office of the Speaker, and is continuing to act contrary to the laws, norms, conventions and practices that require a legislative speaker to maintain scrupulous neutrality, and keep an impeccable reputation for fairness and neutrality.
Oliver Amutike
UPND SA Chapter Chairman.
