. Dr Matibini

By CHILA NAMAIKO –
FIFTY-FOUR United Party for National Development (UPND) Members of Parliament (MPs) have unreservedly apologised for their disrespectful conduct towards President Edgar Lungu, and breaching the Parliamentary privileges after boycotting the official opening of National Assembly on September 30, this year.
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini said the opposition MPs breached the Standing Orders 151 of the National Assembly of Zambia Standing Orders edition 2005, for having boycotted President Lungu’s address.
Dr Matibini, however, clarified that only 54 UPND MPs boycotted Parliament as four of their counterparts namely Jack Mwiimbu of Monze Central, Garry Nkombo of Mazabuka, and Chirundu’s Douglas Syakalima had not yet been sworn-in while Ambrose Lufuma obtained permission to be absent on that day as he was attending to parliamentary business outside the country.
“Honourable members, after examining the evidence of the parties, the committee (Privileges, Absences and Support Services) established that  while boycotts are permissible, the official opening of Parliament is a solemn and auspicious occasion, which all members are expected to attend and be at their best behaviour.
“And, therefore, the absence of the 54 UPND members was not only a breach of the decorum of the House, but also disrespectful to the President,” he said.
This was in his ruling yesterday in the House on the complaint raised by Government Chief Whip in the House Richard Musukwa and a Lusaka resident Emmanuel Chilekwa against the UPND lawmakers for boycotting the official opening of the first session of the 12th National
Assembly of Zambia addressed by President Lungu.
The Speaker stated that the UPND MPs’ decision to boycott the President’s address did not only show disrespect to the Head of State, but also demeaned the dignity and decorum of the House.
“You are aware that the official opening of Parliament and, indeed, any other address by the Head of State of the House is an important and solemn occasion. I am alive to the fact that I have ruled before that walkouts or boycotts are a permissible means of Members exercising their freedom of expression,” he said.
Dr Matibini said, however, that as illustrated by the authorities, the solemnity of the Presidential address, and the high esteem in which it was held by the public imposed a higher standard of conduct on MPs.
“The occasion, thus, calls for members of Parliament to not only be in attendance, but also behave with utmost dignity and decorum throughout the proceedings. It was, therefore, extremely unfortunate that you chose this most revered occasion, the occasion of the official opening of the House, to stay away en masse,” he said.
Such conduct, the House heard, was unacceptable and unbefitting  the members’ status and he called on them to always abide by the rules of the House, and desist from such misconduct in future.
Dr Matibini cautioned the UPND MPs and other members in the House that a repetition of such contemptuous conduct would not be condoned in the near future and would be met with a much stiffer penalty.
“I now order Mr Garry Nkombo, UPND Whip, to stand behind the bar to unreservedly apologise to the House on behalf of the 54 UPND members of their undesirable, disrespectful and contemptuous conduct.
“…or I now order the 54 members to stand behind the bar to apologise for their disrespectful conduct,” Dr Matibini ordered as scores of PF MPs laughed at their UPND counterparts as they stood up heading towards the main entrance at the bar.
Mr Nkombo, rendering the apology on behalf of the 54 MPs while standing behind the bar near the Sergeant at Arms, apologised to President Lungu and the House for their conduct and that the members would in future never breach the rules and proceedings of the House.
Mr Nkombo, who sent the House into laughter when he earlier said his ‘spirit was willing but the body was not’ in reference to rendering the apology, however, said the UPND would seek judicial review over the matter.
“Sir, I carefully reflected on the action you have given us and agree that it amounted to breach of rules and procedures of the House. In addition, we have listened carefully to the wise counsel and we wish to assure you that in the future, we will abide by the rules and procedures of the August House,” he said as he and his party counterparts, later walked out of the House.