Speaker is impartial – Chief Whip

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 12:55:12 +0000

By OSCAR MALIPENGA

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini has shown that he is such an impartial Speaker following a landmark judgment made on Tuesday, Parliament Chief Whip Richard Musukwa has said.

Mr. Musukwa, who is Chililambombwe PF Member of Parliament, said Dr. Matibini had shown that he was an impartial Speaker who rules by the book as evidenced from several judgments he gave on Tuesday of which six where against the PF.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr. Musukwa said on Tuesday Dr. Matibini delivered rulings of which six were against the PF and only one was against the UPND.

“I have already seen online where our colleagues are insinuating that Government institutions are compromised and they are not surprised by the 30 days suspension.

“The truth of the matter is that President Lungu, as propagated by the Speaker (Matibini), he was clearly elected and sworn-in as President and that he deserves respect from all the Members of Parliament including UPND members,” Mr. Musukwa said.

He said the Speaker had demonstrated that he was an impartial Speaker as observed from several rulings he made, adding that six rulings went against the substantive issues raised by PF members on the floor of the House.

Mr. Musukwa clarified that every UPND member who had authentic permission had been excused from the 30 days suspensions by the Speaker.

He said those affected where members without permission for staying away during President Edgar Lungu’s special address to Parliament.

“So I want to dispel the assertions that Government institutions are compromised; for our colleagues democracy only works when it is on their side, not the other side,” he said.

Mr. Musukwa said following the suspension of 48 UPND members he expected to see the decorum of Parliament being restored.