DEMOCRACY & FREE SPEECH SHOULD BE THE HALLMARK OF OUR PARLIAMENT
In a democratic set up like ours, the independence and autonomy of the three arms of government is paramount, if not sacred. The separation of roles helps to entrench the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Over the years, our Zambian Parliament has operated on the fair application of these principles which has seen it become a highly regarded and cherished institution in the region.
Regrettably, since the election of Speaker Madam Nellie Mutti, we have seen a steady departure from those principles which made the Zambian Parliament a model legislative assembly in the region and beyond. Since her election, Speaker Mutti has been on a path to silence the voice of the opposition in the House, she has introduced and enforced strange Standing Orders, made absurd rulings that curtail debates and only seek to protect the Executive. She has allowed members of the Executive including the Vice President to lie on the floor of the House without reprimand.
Perhaps unbeknownst to her, she has succeeded in lowering the reverence of the House in the estimation of many citizens. Decorum and seriousness attached to Parliament has been thrown out of the window.
To be fair, we cannot entirely blame her, As a Lawyer, she was plucked from private practice with a checkered record. We will blame the one who methodically nominated her for the role.
We are therefore elated to learn that Madam Speaker has travelled to the UK on a tour of the UK Parliament. We are happy because this will serve as a great learning opportunity for Madam Speaker to understand the true functioning of Parliament.
We are confident that between the House of Commons and the House of Lords, Madam Speaker Mutti will be accorded enough time to interact and learn from Sir Lindsay Hoyle and Lord McFall of Alcluith on how to fairly apply herself when conducting parliamentary business. Founded in 1801, the UK Parliament offers the best learning platform for her since most of our parliamentary practices were borrowed from there.
We wish to wholeheartedly thank British High Commissioner to Zambia His Excellency Nic Woolley for having facilitated this very important trip.
As citizens of Zambia and Members of Parliament alike, we have a duty to ensure that the principles of free speech and free debate are promoted within the Zambian Parliament and any tendencies that suggest a departure from universally accepted standards of conducting parliamentary business are repelled.
We wish Madam Speaker and her team a great stay in the UK, enjoy the fish and chips and the happy learning.