Wed, 14 Jun 2017 09:09:24 +0000
By Oscar Malipenga
SPEAKER of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini has challenged the UPND members of Parliament to resign on moral grounds if they maintain that they do not recognise President Edgar Lungu as duly elected.
The Speaker said this when he suspended 48 UPND members of Parliament from the service of the National Assembly for a period of thirty (30) days with effect from June 13, 2017 for boycotting President Lungu’s address on Friday March 17, 2017.
“Simply put, there can be no functioning government without a duly elected President,” he said maintaining that President Lungu was duly elected and sworn in.
The suspended UPND members of Parliament shall not be paid a salary or any allowance that they are entitled to as members of the National Assembly following the Speaker’s (Dr. Matibini) ruling.
“The President is the Head of State and government, and you took oaths of allegiance. By so doing, you are expected to be respectful to the President. This is a House of honour, decorum and dignity.
“I am, therefore, duty bound to ensure that the honour, decorum and dignity of the House is protected and preserved at all times.” He warned the House that he would not tolerate gross indiscipline and misconduct from any member.
Dr. Matibini said when he ruled on the absence of the UPND members from the House on Friday March 17, 2017 when President Lungu delivered the State of the Nation address on the application of constitutional values and principles to the House.
Dr. Matibini said in accordance with section 28 (3) of the National
Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act suspended members shall not enter the precincts of the Assembly and the National Assembly Motel. “You shall not participate in any business or activity of the House or committee that you are assigned in, in your capacity as members of the National Assembly and shall not be paid a salary or allowance that you are entitled to as a member,” he said.
Immediately, Dr Matibini ordered the 48 UPND members to leave the chambers in what he termed as a “walk of shame” through the main entrance of the chambers, on thirty (30) days suspension as resolved by the House.
Earlier in his ruling, Dr. Matibini said it was very strange and illogical that while the UPND members boycotted the presence of the President in the House, because they were petitioning his election to the office of the President, they complacently, comfortably and completely, adjusted to the presence of the Vice-President (Inonge Wina) in the House, who in the August 13, 2016 presidential election, was elected into office by virtue of the vote given to President Lungu. “And, further they freely participate in the proceedings of the House in which the Vice-President heads the government, and responds to their questions and all other manner of holding the executive branch of the government to account, especially on Friday’s Vice-President’s question time.
“Honourable members, it is therefore, my considered view that the continued boycott of the President’s presence in the House by UPND members is rationally inexplicable and morally unjustified,” he said.
