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Lusaka. — The opposition Patriotic Front has instructed members of parliament to commence the process of impeaching speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti.

This follows the speaker’s ruling that seats that were nullified are vacant, despite affected parties appealing in the Constitutional Court.

And speaking when he addressed the media at the party secretariat today, PF vice president Given Lubinda described the Speaker’s ruling as nonsensical.

Honourable Lubinda said he felt sorry for the speaker as she delivered her ruling yesterday.

He added that the quivering of her voice could indicate that she really could have been acting under a spell.

Honourable Lubinda argued that the speaker is only mandated to chair meetings in the National Assembly as opposed to interpreting the Law.

He further argued that the said seats can only be declared vacant upon final determination by the Constitutional Court.

He cited a number of cases where Members of Parliament continued serving after their seats were nullified because they appealed in the Constitutional Court.

“This matter was not coming for the first time. Numerous members whose seats were nullified in the past continued serving awaiting determination from the concourt. Numerous cases can be cited. She should have been informed that Matibini dealt with a similar matter in the case of GBM,” he said.

“Madam Speaker should be quickly reminded that her role is to chair meetings of the legislature whose functions are limited to legislating not interpreting the law. It’s authority ends at legislating . . . If a gentleman who was a judge was told by his fellow judges to stop interpreting the law, can a speaker who has never been a judge be given more powers?”

Honourable Lubinda, however, blamed President Hakainde Hichilema for appointing the latter as a speaker.

He wondered how a person of the speaker’s experience, “highly talked about by her appointing authority” could she make such a mistake.

He said even a social studies pupil would know better.

The party vice president challenged her advisers to own up and inform the general public that they didn’t advise her to write such a judgement.

“Where were all those advisers when Madam Speaker was writing such a nonsensical ruling? Advisers you’re there to serve the Zambian people. Own up and tell us you didn’t tell her to do that because if you fail you will be held accountable,” he said.

The party vice president told the nine PF MPs whose seats are nullified to not wait to be vindicated but instead vindicate themselves.

He instructed them to be in parliament despite speaker’s ruling which he termed unconstitutional. And the party has instructed its legal team to ask the Judiciary whether the ruling does not qualify to be deemed nonsensical.

The team has also been tasked to ask whether or not it’s their duty to ensure that they take measures to deter others from bleaching the provisions of the law and ask is the speaker should go free for commenting on a matter that is still in court.

Honourable Lubinda charged that the “propensity” of the Head of State and other officials to do things against the law must not be condoned. — lusakatimes.com