TABLE THE IMPEACHMENT MOTION, NKOMBO CHALLENGES DR MATIBINI
United Party for National Development (UPND) Mazabuka Central MP, Garry Nkombo has challenged Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Patrick Matibini to stop procrastinating and immediately table the Impeachment Motion against President Edgar Lungu before Parliament or dismiss it with an explanation to the House.
In 2018, Hon. Nkombo moved a motion in Parliament to impeach President Lungu for breaching the Zambian Constitution when he failed to handover the instruments of power to the speaker of National Assembly following a Presidential Petition by UPND leader, Hakainde Hichilema after the disputed 2016 general elections.
Addressing the press at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka this morning, Hon Nkombo wondered why it had taken Dr Matibini more than two years to study the motion despite confirming that it was properly tabled in 2018.
“So, am challenging him to table the motion immediately or dismiss it because there is nothing to study in the two-page document. My message to Dr Matibini is for him to dismiss the motion and give me an explanation or immediately table it before the house. This is because the Speaker confirmed that my motion was properly tabled without any problems,” he said.
In admitting receipt of a letter by Hon Nkombo challenging the Speaker’s failure to table the Motion before the house, the Clerk of National Assembly, Ms Cecilia Mbewe stated that the Speaker was still studying the matter.
He stated that he was however not surprised with the Speaker’s procrastination in tabling the motion as he is also in breach of the Constitution for his failure to receive the instruments of power from Mr Lungu.
Hon Nkombo also wondered why it had taken Dr Matibini two years to study the motion when First Speaker of National Assembly, Catherine Namugala had ruled that the Motion was properly before the House in 2018.
“By law, the supreme law of the land, which is the Constitution, both Mr Lungu and Dr Matibini are in breach of the same Constitution as one was supposed to hand over power while the other was supposed to receive the power, ” Hon Nkombo said.