Africa-Press – Zambia. Lumezi Member of Parliament Munir Zulu has been suspended from Parliament for threatening to grab The Speakers’ Mace which the Sergeant-at-Arms was holding. The Speakers’ Mace at Sergeant-at-Arms is a symbol of the authority of The Speaker.
Mr Zulu’s suspension from Parliament for 1O days is a result of gross misconduct, indiscipline and disrespecting The Speaker and requesting the Sergeant-at-Arms to call for more security as there would be a fist fight in Parliament.
The suspension came to light after The Speaker of the National Assembly gave a ruling against Mr Zulu concerning his conduct on Wednesday 23rd March, 2022 when the First Deputy Speaker was conducting business.
When The Speaker put the question of whether Mr Zulu should be suspended, a division vote was called by Members of Parliament mostly those from the opposition. The suspension came to pass after 66 MPs voted in favour of the suspension while 50 MPs voted against suspension.
Based on the vote in the House, it was resolved that Mr Zulu be suspended for 10 days for being found guilty of breaching the Standing Orders of the House and in these 10 days, he will not be allowed to enter Parliament building nor the parliamentary motel and during his suspension, he will not be entitled to any allowances.
Many Members of Parliament described Mr Zulu as a childish and unreasonable member. Mr Zulu was ordered to leave the House and only return on the 5th of August, 2022.
And Mr Zulu took to his Facebook page to express disappointment on the reason for his suspension for the Point of Order that was raised had nothing to do with The Speaker’s Mace but threats towards a certain Sergeant-of-Arms that he genuinely doesn’t even know in person.
He added that a lot of online news sites are running stories that he intended to grab the Mace, but he has all written correspondence with him and at no point did he respond to the matter of attempting to grab the Mace.
“As I consult Lawyers on the way forward, I will either make the documents public or use them at the right time,” he noted
Mr Zulu further noted that the matter relating to an apology he made on the floor of the house and not when he was erroneously chased from the House on Thursday 21st July 2022.
“So, colleagues don’t judge too early as the intention is to keep some sect mute in the house but worry not when wrong I will apologise but to be compelled to be a ‘Mr Yes’ to everything is not part of me and my background,” he said He expressed gratitude to the 50 Members of Parliament that supported him by voting against his suspension from Parliament building.
Mr Zulu explained that he agrees that his debates have not been well received by the authorities but to be chased for being in his seat is ugly as he has been chased out of the House for merely answering questions and just seating in Parliament.
He stated that a lot of the support staff are being used to create a situation that abrogates Parliamentary etiquette but he agrees that being chased or suspended from Parliament is a planned move.
“How possible is it that even when am quiet am chased out of the House and at the same time standing orders that bind members are extended to the same support staff that are not elected by anyone,” he stated
“How is it that civil servants at Parliament suddenly play to the standing orders when they have their own code of conduct,” he said
Meanwhile, The Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti has been warning Members of Parliament against conduct likely to breach the decorum of the House after noticing a tendency of late coming and noise which disrupt the business of the House.
The speaker said this when she reminded MPs on standing orders on parliamentary decorum and etiquette. She has since cautioned that such tendencies will not be allowed to continue, adding that MPs who report late to the house will be removed from the sitting of the day.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
