Africa-Press – Zambia. It is with a heavy heart, that we wish to comment on the conduct the Speaker of National Assembly Madam Nelly Mutti. It is under very difficult circumstances that we deem it necessary to call her out for the sake of protecting and preserving the sanctity and decorum of not only her office but that of the entire legislature. Zambia’s democracy stands tall on the presumption of separation of powers in the equal disposition and distribution of power among it’s three arms of government, but the conduct of our speaker today leaves much to be desired to say the least.
Being one of the very few senior lawyers, that even qualifies to occupy the office of a judge, our expectations were extremely high in the manner with which she would discharge her duties at parliament, it has become more apparent that she lacks the impartiality that is critical for her to earn the much needed respect and credibility from both sides of the aisle in the house.
The moment she began to conduct day to day business as speaker, the scale of fairness and non bias ruling and interjections have placed her in harm’sway with one side of parliament.
Parliament in terms of rules of the house, has guidelines on the acceptable conduct that governs how each member of the house behaves and conducts thier representative role on the floor of the house.
A case record, of the latest being that of Kabushi lawmaker Bowman LUSAMBO, whose the duly elected representative of the good people of Kabushi constituency on the Copperbelt, has left us dumbfounded by the way she misconducted herself in the manner she treated him.
SHE WAS TOO EMOTIONAL, and that in itself is recipe for turning the house upside down. Notwithstanding the tone of her language, the choice of words and the subtle subliminal message she was sending through Honorable Lusambo, is incriminate and discriminate, clearly showing impartiality and partisanship.
Ofcourse, it is a public secret that her way into parliament came through her sponsorship by UPND, however the her political affiliation is assumed nonexistent the moment she occupies that very noble office. Unfortunately she has failed to attract the necessary goodwill from both the public and parliamentarians owing to her selective application of rules. At times even giving her personal partisan opinions against others.
She firstly must quickly RETIRE HER MEMBERSHIP FROM UPND, to avoid herself becoming a subject of politics outside the house as that has the potential generate dissent on her as a person, which will make it difficult for her to execute her duties freely. Further, forcing the house to degenerate into a partisan platform.
We wish to remind her, that unlike her whose just an appointee, all members of parliament including Bowman Lusambo are not serving at the whim and wish of anybody but at the mercy of the people who onerously elected them. So she is not doing any of them a favor by being in that parliament, it’s at the will of those electorates who elected them to represent them. So she must regard, every voice as that which represents thousands. Atleast that’s how our democracy is structured, so she doesn’t need to like any of the MPs personally, shes not there to like anyone, that’s not her job or privilege but that’s her duty, to respect each and every one in the house if she expects respect in return.
This is an early warning, if she has to succeed. Speakers before her, have taken heed of advise in helping them rise above partisanship and helped them navigate swiftly in circumventing this bipartisan question.
Being the first female Speaker, we would so much like her to succeed, so as to create more opportunities for others women, young girls who dream big in our different communities. She will do a de-service not only to her appointing authority but to the many women who should be looking up to her. This is our free advise, stay out of politics. Hon. R•M•NAKACINDA 03/10/2021
