BILL 10 RESULT WILL NOT BE REVISITED – MATIBINI
By Daily Revelation Reporter
Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini has ruled that the result of the vote of the Constitutional Amendment Bill No 10 of 2019, cannot be revisited or revised.
On October 30, 2020, PF Chifubu memeber of Parliament Dr Frank Ng’ambi raised a point of order on whether the records to the vote on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No 10 of 2019 would be amended to reflect him as having voted in support of the bill because at the time of voting, there was system failure which had resulted in his not being registered as being present for a vote.
Giving his ruling on the point of order raised, Mr Matibini said his office also received two letters from Dr Ng’ambi and PF Mwansabomnwe member of Parliament Kampampi Kabaso where they complained that their names were not captured during voting on Bill 10 motion.
He said immediately he received the complaint letters, his office conducted thorough investigations to establish what transpired on the matrial day.
He said in his point of order, Dr Ng’ambi alleged that his vote could not be registered, because his console froze.
Dr Matibini however, said investigations revealed that if indeed, his console froze, as he alleged, he would not even have been able to log into the system, let alone, press the “Present” and “Yes” options, as alleged in his complaint letter.
He said at any rate if the console had indeed froze, he should have alerted the Speaker who would have in turn instructed the ICT officers in the chamber to assist him fourthwith.
“As a matter of fact, an ICT specialist is positioned adjacent to me,” Dr Matibini said.
He said he had come to the conclusion that Dr Ng’ambi logged into the system as required but he did not select the “present” key, which would have activated the necessary options to enable him vote.
“Therefore, contrary to his assertion that his vote was not recorded due to a system failure, Dr Ng’ambi’s failure to register his vote, was as a result of his own failure to press on” present” and thereby register his intention to vote. And subsequently, proceed to vote,” he said.
Dr Matibini further said the same gleaning Bosch system report refered to above, was self evident that the same narrative relating to Dr Ng’ambi applied to Kabaso.
” In view of the foregoing, the result for the vote on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill cannot be re-visited or revised. And shall stand, as recorded on the system as declared by me, on Thursday 29 October, 2020,” ruled Dr Matibini.-Daily Revelation