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SPEAKER of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini
Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini has reversed the suspension of UPND Mpongwe Member of Parliament Rasford Bulaya who was among the 47 suspended UPND Members of Parliament for boycotting President Edgar Lungu’s address to parliament.
Mr. Bulaya becomes the second MP to be brought back to parliament after Namwala MP Moono Lubezhi whose suspension was reversed after it was established that she was attending the court case.
Rendering a ruling after a complaint from Mr. Bulaya in Parliament this afternoon, Dr. Matibini says Mr. Bulaya was attending a court case on the material day and he did not deliberately boycott the President’s address to the House.
Dr. Matibini states that the Mpongwe Lawmaker expressed surprise that he was suspended from the House when he was appearing as a witness before the Mpongwe Magistrate Court in case against the people and former Mpongwe Member of Parliament Gabriel Namulambe.
He says this was followed by a letter from the Mpongwe Magistrate Court.
The Speaker says after studying the matter he is compelled to lift the suspension for Mr. Bulaya with immediate effect because it is disproportionate to the offense committed by the other UPND members of Parliament.