MUTTI WORST SPEAKER EVER – Lubinda

MUTTI WORST SPEAKER EVER

…The Speaker cannot conduct an illegal referendum, says Lubinda

By Mast Reporter

NELLY Mutti is the worst Speaker of the National Assembly in the history of Zambia, Given Lubinda has said.
Lubinda, the acting opposition Patriotic Front (PF) president, said in an interview with The Mast the Speaker of the National Assembly could not conduct public hearings, assemble or speak on behalf of chiefs as she recently did in Muchinga Province.

“Mutti is committing impeachable offences. It is not the duty of the Speaker to determine what matters must be brought before Parliament,” he said

Lubinda said Mutti was compromising democracy by committing impeachable offences like usurping the role of the Executive.

“Nowhere in the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia, nowhere in the standing orders of Parliament, nowhere in Chapter 12, The Powers and Privileges acts of Parliament is the Speaker bestowed with the authority to conduct public hearings,” Lubinda said.

He said the role of the Speaker was to preside over the business of Parliament in the chamber.

“That is the constitutional role of a Speaker, to preside over sittings and meetings of the National Assembly.

He said the Speaker could not conduct an illegal referendum over any matter, let alone over constitutional amendments like Mutti was doing.

Lubinda said Parliament consulted citizens through elected members of Parliament, the representatives of the people.

He said the Speaker of the National Assembly, after the amendment of the Constitution in 2016, stopped being a representative of the people.

“A Speaker is elected from outside Parliament, meaning the Speaker does not represent anyone. The views of the people are presented to the National Assembly through their elected representatives, the MPS, not through the Speaker,” Lubinda said.

He said the function of consultation, especially over the Constitution, was the function of the Executive, not the Speaker.

“It is the duty of the Executive, through the Ministry of Justice, or the Law Development Commission, to make consultations with the people on constitutional amendments or for any law for that matter,” Lubinda said.

He said it was through that structure that chiefs would speak on a matter of such national importance.
“Chiefs cannot just be gathered and paraded by any person, and especially not the Speaker of the National Assembly, and make submissions on the Constitution making process or constitutional amendments,” Lubinda said.

He said Mutti was ambushing and abusing chiefs for partisan reasons, which would not be accepted.
Lubinda described Mutti as a pure cadre of the United Party for National development (UPND) government who was in a hurry to pay for her lofty position of Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia by doing anything wrong for the government.

“Never in the history of the Zambian Parliament has any speaker pushed an agenda on behalf of the government of the day, especially on a matter as important as constitutional amendments,” he said.
Lubinda said for Mutti to be saying Parliament was ready to consider Bill 7, she was going against that Constitutional Court’s ruling.

“As a person in the office that is responsible for the preservation of the sanctity of Parliament, the office of Speaker is the one that is expected to be the first to distance Parliament from handling Bill 7 because in itself it is unconstitutional,” Lubinda said.

Recently, Mutti assured chiefs in Muchinga Province that Parliament was ready to bring back the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill No. 7 of 2025, known as Bill 7, and was only waiting for the Executive to give sign.

She also claimed that the chiefs had told her that they wanted Bill 7 bck in Parliament.
But her statements have raised a storm with opposition leaders, the civil society and members of the public castigating her for playing the role of the Executive for partisan reasons.