Speaker is being partisan – Kazabu

Speaker is being partisan – Kazabu
By Ernest Chanda
Fri 24 Sep. 2010, 04:01 CAT

LACKSON Kazabu has charged that National Assembly Speaker Amuusa Mwanamwambwa is displaying inconsistencies by intimidating parliamentarians who are critical of President Rupiah Banda and the MMD government.

Commenting on Speaker Mwanamwambwa's ruling on Wednesday that he could not act on Kafulafuta MMD member of parliament George Mpombo's behaviour because the latter had challenged his expulsion in court, Kazabu, a former Kitwe mayor, said the Speaker was being partisan.

Speaker Mwanamwambwa made the ruling after Bahati Patriotic Front (PF) 'rebel' parliamentarian Besa Chimbaka raised a point of order on whether or not Mpombo was in order to call President Rupiah Banda a liar through a story he gave to The Post which was published on Tuesday September 21, 2010.

Chimbaka claimed that Mpombo's calling of President Banda a liar was an insult to the Presidency.

But Kazabu questioned the Speaker's rationale in passing such sentiments on Mpombo when there were many other opposition members of parliament whose expulsions were also being challenged in courts.

“The Speaker is depicting inconsistency in the manner he is treating some opposition members of parliament. The person sitting in that chair requires to treat every member of parliament equally. How is it that the Speaker could see a problem with Honourable George Mpombo for being critical of the President and his party when the same Speaker cannot see a problem with expelled members like Namwala UPND member of parliament Major Robbie Chizyuka and those in the PF?” Kazabu asked.

“That is intimidation which should not be entertained. He shouldn't be there to intimidate any member of parliament. But he must be there to show impartiality. And when he does that he will be inspiring public confidence in that institution.”

Kazabu advised the Speaker to have no favourites among parliamentarians, especially that they were all supposed to be people's representatives.

“I think the Speaker has become partisan in this manner and this is not healthy for our democracy. When presiding over such an institution like Parliament, you have to treat all members in the same manner. You cannot have a specific treatment for those members of parliament in good books with the ruling party and have another treatment for those critical of the ruling party. We all know how he has protected 'rebels' from the opposition who have been expelled by their parties,” said Kazabu.

Making a ruling on Chimbaka's point of order on Mpombo, Speaker Mwanamwambwa said his hands were tied by the court where Mpombo had taken his party for expelling him.

“The courts have tied my hands because if I do anything that would be contempt of court. We have to abide by the rule of separation of powers. But consider if it's a Zambian culture for adults to insult each other. Is it normal to call one another liars?” Speaker Mwanamwambwa asked.

“When it comes to this House, each one of you subscribes to the oath of allegiance. Be careful what you say here or there. And the oath says allegiance to the President. What that means is that wherever you are, inside or outside this House, you must represent the President.”

Speaker Mwanamwambwa warned that it was an offence under the law to insult the President.

“If some of you are privately friendly out there to any head of state, current or past, you leave it there. There is a section in the Penal Code and it's still intact, which clearly stipulates that making disparaging remarks against the President is a serious offence and describes a penalty. I have heard many of you on radio referring to the Head of State in name only; that is an offence,” warned Speaker Mwanamwambwa.

“I don't know where the law enforcement agencies are when this is hapenning. Honourable members, when you insult you are not immune to prosecution. If you insult, the law enforcement agencies should visit you. Insulting is not a sign of heroism or political championship. Honourable Mpombo is an Honourable member of parliament, honourable! And no honourable member can utter such words. I'm assuming The Post quoted Honourable Mpombo correctly. If not, he could have asked for a retraction, but he hasn't. Why should the whole Honourable member avoid to discuss these matters in the House and go outside?"