Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has described the speaker’s ruling on members of parliament whose seats have been nullified by the high court as unconstitutional and strange.
On Tuesday, Speaker of the national assembly, Nelly Mutti ruled that Bowman Lusambo and other members of parliament whose seats had been nullified by the courts were out of order to remain in the house regardless of whether they had appealed their cases or not.
But FODEP Executive Director George Chimembe has advised members of parliament who have been barred from attending parliamentary business by the speaker of the national assembly following the nullification of their seats by the high court to seek redress from the courts of law.
Mr. Chimembe states that the ruling by the speaker is very strange and surprising especially that it came from a seasoned lawyer.
He says Article 73 clause 4 is very instructive regarding such a matter, adding that there is High court precedence on the issue in the case of Margaret Mwanakatwe Versus Charlotte Scot and the ECZ.
Mr. Chimembe has since advised the affected MPs to seek legal redress, stating that the judiciary must be moved by the affected members of parliament to provide checks and balances to the legislature.