Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Speaker of the National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini (Picture by Albert Mpezeni)
Green Party Leader Peter Sinkamba says Speaker of National Assembly Dr. Patrick Matibini’s notice to the Electoral Commission of Zambia that a vacancy has occurred for Chilanga Constituency is not in any way a double standard on the part of the Speaker.
Reacting to comments insinuating double standards on the part of the Speaker for “declaring” Chilanga Constituency vacant whilst not doing so for Ministers Professor Nkandu Luo’s and Margret Mwanakatwe, Mr. Sinkamba has clarified that according to the 2016 Amended Constitution, the Speaker no longer has power to declare a parliamentary seat vacant.
He explains that under the new constitutional dispensation, the Speaker only notifies the Electoral Commission that a vacancy has arisen, on case-by-case basis per requirements provided in Articles 72 and 70 of the Constitution of Zambia.
He furthermore explains that the Speaker no longer has power to declare a parliamentary vacant, hence a mere notification.
Mr. Sinkamba adds that the only way that Keith Mukata can do to stop the Electoral Commission from conducting the bye-election, following the Speaker’s notification of the Commission is to gamble by appealing against the Speaker’s notification of the Electoral Commission.
He says the immediate past Chilanga lawmaker can argue that a vacancy has not arisen because he has not yet started serving his sentence, which is hanging until pronounced dead.
Mr. Sinkamba says if Mr. Mukata came up with such legal gymnastics, then the Chilanga bye-election is not so near, as may seem.