Friday, March 29, 2024

MPs absconding from parliamentary proceedings are committing a crime-Speaker

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Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini

SPEAKER of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini has said that it is criminal for any Member of Parliament to merely register their presence in the house yet abscond from parliamentary proceedings.

Ruling on a point of order raised by Local Government and Housing Minister Steven Kampyongo last week on whether UPND Members of Parliament were in order to merely register their presence in the house and later walkout and never to return to the house for the rest of the day, Dr. Matibini said while it is conventional for MPs walkout of the chamber for whatever reasons, this practice has the unfortunate tendency of denying the electorate of representation in the house.

The Speaker said that such conduct is not only dishonorable and dishonest, but is also unbefitting of the status and dignity of a Member of Parliament.

Dr. Matibini added that this action is also tantamount to obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences contrary to Section 309a of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the Laws of Zambia.

He further stated that in essence it amounts to a criminal offence for which a member may on conviction be liable to imprisonment for 5-years.

Dr. Matibini said that was very unfortunate for Members of Parliament to elect to absent themselves from the house at a time when the 2016 national budget which has a direct and serious bearing on the people of Zambia is being considered.

The Speaker has since directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to immediately start recording MPs who come into parliament to merely register their names and walk out without returning.

And the Speaker has reprimanded Monze central Member of Parliament Jack Mwiimbu for walking out of the house immediately after raising a point of order last week on the attack on the UPND offices in Kitwe by suspected Patriotic Front cadres, before he could make a ruling.

Dr Matibini said that Mr. Mwiimbu was out of order as his action breached parliamentary etiquette

He reminded parliamentarians that parliamentary etiquette and decorum demands that members behave in a manner which is befitting of their status in society.

26 COMMENTS

    • UPDATES FROM TANZANIA POST ELECTION ACTIVITIES

      Last weekend they were opening parliament and there was a state dinner planned for all guests that was going to cost about 300m. President Magulufi cut the budget to 25m and ordered that the rest be taken to buy hospital beds for Muhimbili they got 300 beds and mattresses and 600 bed sheets from that money.

      On 23rd Nov 2015 he announced that there will be no official ceremonies for Independence Day on 9th December, the money is to be used for more pressing issues and the day should instead be spent cleaning up our environment.

      On Saturday 21st nov 2015 a group of 50 people were about to set off for a tour of commonwealth countries (don’t know for what) but President Magulufi cut that list down to 4 people, saving government 600m in…

    • ….. in tickets, accommodation and per diems

      No more foreign travel, embassies will take care; if it’s necessary to go, special permission must be sought from him or Chief Secretary

      No more 1st class and business class travel for all officials except President, Vice, and Prime Minister.

      No more workshops and seminars in expensive hotels when their so many ministry board rooms available.

      President Magulufi asked how come engineers are given V8s when a pick-up is more suitable for their jobs.

    • ……. No more sitting allowances, how the hell are you paid allowance for a job which you have a monthly salary; that also applies to MP’s.

      President Magulufi has literally pressed the reset button; returning Tanzania to default factory settings, because that was the TZ Nyerere left us with.

      On the day after he was brought to power, in the morning as State House officials were showing him round he decided to take a walk to ministry of finance, told them to get their act together, asked why some employees weren’t in office (ever since then the traffic jam in mornings has become worse) and ordered TRA to scrap all tax exemptions, everyone must pay taxes especially the big guys

      President Magulufi went to Muhimbili Hospital unannounced and walked thru the worst parts that they keep…

    • ….. hiding from important visitors he fired the director, fired the hospital board and ordered that all machines that weren’t working (so that people go to private hospitals owned by some doctors) to be repaired within 2 weeks otherwise he fires even the new director; the machines were repaired in 3 days

      Finally, last week when going to officially open parliament President Magulufi didn’t go by plane, drove the whole 600km from Dar to Dodoma.

      President Magulufi has reduced the size of the presidential convoy, even reduced the size of presidential delegation that travels with him

      President Magulufi chose a Prime Minister we haven’t heard of before, a guy with reputation for hard work and no corruption all the big guys we expected could be PM have been let wondering what hit

    • @MB, am now becoming envious of the Tanzania president. Africa needs this crop of leaders if it is ever going to develop. Save on public funds and use the money where it is needed.

      God help us.

    • Bwana Matibini, if you are so clever in your reasoning why don’t you prosecute those criminals? Or you are another master of talk-talk and no do-do, just like all the PFools who put you in that seat?

  1. ATI LAW-MAKERS! THOSE ARE LAW-BREAKERS AND AN EXAMPLE OF PROSECUTION RESULTING TO SUCCESSFUL CONVICTION MUST BE SET ON SOME OF THOSE IGNORANT LAW-BREAKERS. YOU DON’T SOLVE A PROBLEM BY RUNNING AWAY FROM IT. EVEN THEN YOU DID NOT GO TO PARLIAMENT BY YOURSELVES TO REPRESENT YOURSELVES. PEOPLE NEEDED A CHAP TO REPRESENT THEM AND THEY PAY THEM FOR THAT. IF YOU RUN AWAY FROM PARLIAMENT JUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE STEALING FROM THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU TO REPRESENT THEM. ZAMBIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS IN THE OPPOSITION ARE JUST FUULISH AND IGNORANT. AND ON BOTH CAMPS ZAMBIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS NEED TO BE JACKED UP.AND AGAIN IT’S A PITY THAT THE PARLY CLERK DOES NOT TAKE NOTE OF WHO’S THERE. ABSOLUTE NEGLIGENCE OF DUTY.

  2. This PF government is a circus in the making. They are really running out of ideas. Instead of solving problems they resort to threats which has never worked in any society. For how long will this government of ECL continue this way? We are tired of PF mwe!

  3. These empty tins are very lazy…name and shame them…such absenteeism was unheard of under the Speakers of UNIP, MMD eras

  4. Who is better here? Someone who simply walk out of the jokes and unproductive house when agrieved for infringement of his rights and the one who unleashes live ammunition,teargas and brutal security officers when agrieved?Well food for thought while we watch from the terraces.

  5. MR SPEAKER AN INSTITUTION WHICH DOES NOT EFFECT DISPLINARY ACTION BECOMES WEAK EVRNTUALLY PIPO WILL START FIGHTING KNOWING NONTHING WILL HAPPEN. ACT NOW ACCORDING TO THE LAW. IF IT WAS A NURSE U WUD HAVE FIRED SO THEN FIRE JACK MWIMBU,THE SITUATION IS OUT OF HAND. UPND MPS U ARE NOTTHERE FOR THAT KA SMALL OF god OF YOS KA HH YOU TALKATIVE BUMS FOR NONTHING COWARDS.

  6. HH, I told you your Mps are also corrupt, nowounder they don’t put the government to task, they are absent presumably looking to be included in the sharing of looted monies.

  7. MB, I don’t post on this blogg but I read you posting with passion, I pray for Zambia, I hope one day we will have a leader like that on in Tanzania. I pray for that leader.

  8. If everyone is present at your own house and no tangible results are produced and your children still go hungry and their standard of living worsens. Why not just disappear?Is it not just consuming more taxpayers?Why not just close it completely?Well!,that’s food for thought.

  9. Tis the unfortunate culture nurtured by Sata and PF…that politics is for gain,not for principles or serving the people

  10. We can do without an MP. We had no representations for a long time when pf kabimba and team kept on fighting Dora silica and Maxwell Mwale. I am just surprised shakes remained behind when these guys went to parliament motel to “slaughter”….

  11. YOU WALK OUT WHEN CIVIL SERVANTS ARE NOT YET PAID 26/11/15 WHO IS GOING TO DEMAND FOR A POINT OF ORDER.ITS NOW LIKE NO UPND MPS IN PARLIAMENT NO SALARIES. ECL BALEKUSETIN’GA ITS JUST DELIBERATE SO THAT WORKERS REACT.ECL TAKE A WALK CHECK ON THESE UNITS. SMILES SHUD BE THERE BUT WRONG DOWERS SHUD FEAR.CHECK ON PERMIC,ZRA,POLICE,ZESCO,ZNBC,OP,STATE HOUSE,(INDICATORS ZESCO SWITCH OFF POWER WHEN U WERE IN THE STADIUM) AIM WAS TO EMBERACE U CAUSE PANIC. SHAKE THEM FIRE SOME START WITH ZESCO AND ZNBC. DO NOT TRUST PIPO IN THOSE OFFICES MOST OF THEM LIKE MUTABI ZNBC HAVE BEEN PROMISED BIG POSITION.MAKE CHANGES.THERE BIG CARTELS IN THESE ORG. EITHER PROMISED OR BEING PAID CASH. U WILL REMEMBER THIS IF U DO NOT ACT.THIS TIME THEY SEEM OK BUT WATCH DURING CAMPAIGNS.

  12. THIS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IS WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO UNDER KONTOLOLA

    BUSINESS AS USUAL
    SLEEPY MP’S STEALING OUR TAX MONEY
    NO FRESH IDEAS
    BRAIN FREEZE
    MASS SALE OF ALL OUR ASSETS AND PARASTATALS

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