Speaker suspends 5 more PF MPs
Written by MRadio on March 24, 2022
By SIMON MUNTEMBA
BARELY one week after 30 Patriotic Front members of parliament were banned from attending Parliament business for 30 days, five more were yesterday added to the list for having participated in protesting in the house.
Deputy Speaker of National Assembly, Attractor Chisangano sent five more to join the other 30 PF MPs who are serving a 30 day suspension.
Ms Chisangano said the five were excluded from the 30 PF members of parliament who were suspended for protesting in the chambers of the House because they were barred from taking part in parliamentary business following the nullification of their seats by the High court.
The five are Bowman Lusambo (Kabushi), Joe Malanji (Kwacha), Mutotwe Kafwaya (Lunte), Lucas Simumba (Nakonde), and Taulo Chewe (Lubansenshi).
Delivering the ruling, Ms Chisangano said this was in the wake of the behaviour exhibited by the MPs last year where they thronged the Chambers of the Speaker in December last year disrupting business of the house.
“In my ruling I had excluded five PF MPs who were barred from participating in the business of the house following a ruling rendered on 17th December 2021 in which all members of parliament whose seats were nullified by the high court but had appealed to the constitutional court were barred from participating in the proceedings of the house until their nullification were overturned by the constitutional court.
“In the judgement, the Constitutional Court ruled that members of parliament whose election had been nullified but appealed to the High Court retain their seat pending the full determination by the Constitutional Court and the MPs returned to parliament. In line with the ruling were the 30 MPs who participated in the protest were suspended for 30 days, the house suspends the five PF members of parliament that participated in the protest,” she said.
Meanwhile, lawyer Tutwa Ngulube has said Speaker of National Assembly, Nelly Mutti should be sued for compensation by the nine Members of Parliament who were illegally and unceremoniously ejected from Parliament.
Mr Ngulube, who is former PF Kabwe Central MP, said the nine MPs needed to be compensated for the unfair expulsion which did not only affect them but the respective constituencies they represent.
He also said the dues for the duration of their suspension from Parliament must be paid to them as the expulsion was illegal and unfair.
“All I can urge the affected MPs is that, let them now demand compensation by suing the Speaker for illegally ejecting them from Parliament,” Mr Ngulube said.
On December 7, 2021, the Speaker suspended the nine PF lawmakers from attending sessions and drawing salaries on account of nullification of their elections by the High Court despite appealing.
But on Tuesday this week, the ConCourt in a judgement read by Judge Palan Mulonda ruled that MPs whose seats have been nullified by the High Court but have appealed should remain in parliament.
Judge Mulonda ruled that the Speaker should not have sent the nine MPs away because they appealed against the High Court’s decision to nullify their seats which by the operation means that they retained their seats in Parliament until the determination of the appeal by the Constitutional Court.
The nine are Bowman Lusambo (Kabushi), Joe Malanji (Kwacha), Allen Banda (Chimwemwe), Kalalwe Mukosa (Chinsali), Mutotwe Kafwaya (Lunte), Lucas Simumba (Nakonde), Taulo Chewe (Lubansenshi), Christopher Chibuye (Mkushi North) and Sibongile Mwamba (Kasama Central).
