OVER the past couple of weeks, there has been a hive of wrong activities by some parliamentarians in the chamber of the House. Some Patriotic Front legislators and a few independent lawmakers have on a number of occasions attempted to turn the floor of the House into an amphitheatre of chaos. They have blatantly been disregarding the guidance and orders of presiding
officers in the chamber while throwing salvos at Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti, whom they have accused of wrongdoing. Some of these members have even been verbally abusing
the Speaker, interjecting while she is still speaking, and in worse scenarios shouting back at her. The pandemonium these parliamentarians have created in the House over the past couple of weeks resulted in 19 of them facing sanctions in accordance with parliamentary disciplinary rules. On Tuesday, Ms Mutti suspended 19 legislators from the House for varied periods, but mostly 30 days, for misconducting themselves while in the chamber. The Zambian Parliament is held in high esteem by the international community, and anything which tends to compromise its dignity must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Our Parliament is highly regarded principally because it derives most of its practices and traditions from the British Parliament at Westminster, normally known as the ‘Mother of Parliaments’. As such, the Zambian Parliament exhibits most features of the Westminister parliamentary style, including its legislative language.
One of the fundamental rules of debate in our National Assembly is that the language used by members must be civil and dignified, with good temper and moderation being the characteristics of
parliamentary discourse. In this regard, language that tends to lower the dignity and integrity of the House is not allowed. Generally, it is accepted that unparliamentary language is essentially any language that does not exhibit good temperament or moderation. Therefore, the use of offensive, provocative or threatening language, including personal attacks, insults and obscenities,
amounts to unparliamentary language and is strictly prohibited. Unfortunately, unparliamentary practices are what have characterised recent happenings in the chamber of our National
Assembly. Simply put, there has been commotion caused by some opposition and independent parliamentarians. This left the Speaker, as head of the legislature, with no option but to crack
the whip in an effort to restore order in the manner parliamentary business is executed in the House. Surely, we need order and quality debate by our representatives in Parliament, and not members making noise. Legislators’ business in the House should be about making laws to govern our country and debating motions and other matters in a civilised and constructive manner.
MPs are not called honourables for nothing; it is because of the respect the electorate accord them as their representatives in the House and expect their conduct to be exemplary. We urge our lawmakers to always follow rules which govern debate and their conduct in the chamber of the House. Parliament has procedure for grievances which members should follow whenever they
feel aggrieved so that they can be heard and have their issues resolved in an orderly and amicable manner. Lawmakers should at all times debate or discuss matters in the House in a civilised manner by showing decorum and respecting presiding officers. Zambia is a Christian nation which espouses values and principles, and respecting those in authority is one of the values parliamentarians should always uphold.
MPs must respect authority
OVER the past couple of weeks, there has been a hive of wrong activities by some parliamentarians in the chamber of the House. Some Patriotic Front legislators and a few independent lawmakers have on a number of occasions attempted to turn the floor of the House into an amphitheatre of chaos. They have blatantly been disregarding the guidance and orders of presiding
officers in the chamber while throwing salvos at Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti, whom they have accused of wrongdoing. Some of these members have even been verbally abusing
the Speaker, interjecting while she is still speaking, and in worse scenarios shouting back at her. The pandemonium these parliamentarians have created in the House over the past couple of weeks resulted in 19 of them facing sanctions in accordance with parliamentary disciplinary rules. On Tuesday, Ms Mutti suspended 19 legislators from the House for varied periods, but mostly 30 days, for misconducting themselves while in the chamber. The Zambian Parliament is held in high esteem by the international community, and anything which tends to compromise its dignity must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Our Parliament is highly regarded principally because it derives most of its practices and traditions from the British Parliament at Westminster, normally known as the ‘Mother of Parliaments’. As such, the Zambian Parliament exhibits most features of the Westminister parliamentary style, including its legislative language.
One of the fundamental rules of debate in our National Assembly is that the language used by members must be civil and dignified, with good temper and moderation being the characteristics of
parliamentary discourse. In this regard, language that tends to lower the dignity and integrity of the House is not allowed. Generally, it is accepted that unparliamentary language is essentially any language that does not exhibit good temperament or moderation. Therefore, the use of offensive, provocative or threatening language, including personal attacks, insults and obscenities,
amounts to unparliamentary language and is strictly prohibited. Unfortunately, unparliamentary practices are what have characterised recent happenings in the chamber of our National
Assembly. Simply put, there has been commotion caused by some opposition and independent parliamentarians. This left the Speaker, as head of the legislature, with no option but to crack
the whip in an effort to restore order in the manner parliamentary business is executed in the House. Surely, we need order and quality debate by our representatives in Parliament, and not members making noise. Legislators’ business in the House should be about making laws to govern our country and debating motions and other matters in a civilised and constructive manner.
MPs are not called honourables for nothing; it is because of the respect the electorate accord them as their representatives in the House and expect their conduct to be exemplary. We urge our lawmakers to always follow rules which govern debate and their conduct in the chamber of the House. Parliament has procedure for grievances which members should follow whenever they
feel aggrieved so that they can be heard and have their issues resolved in an orderly and amicable manner. Lawmakers should at all times debate or discuss matters in the House in a civilised manner by showing decorum and respecting presiding officers. Zambia is a Christian nation which espouses values and principles, and respecting those in authority is one of the values parliamentarians should always uphold.