Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Rt. Hon. Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, MP, FAPRA has been awarded as the Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the year 2023 at the just ended 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, in Accra, Ghana.

Rt. Hon. Mutti scooped the award following a rigorous nomination and adjudication process involving eight other nominations from around the Commonwealth.

The Selection Committee, emphasised a number of qualities including the Hon. Speaker’s contributions to upholding the rule of law, her commitment to transparency in parliamentary processes, and her dedication to ensuring the citizens of Zambia have quick and easy access to information.

Other awards that were presented included, the Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award; New Parliamentarian Award; and Parliamentarian Life-time Achievement Award.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Awards were introduced in 2022 with the first recipient of the Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year being the Speaker of the Parliament of Canada. This makes Speaker Mutti the second recipient of the prestigious award.

In her acceptance speech, Speaker Mutti stated that her award is dedicated to all female parliamentarians in the Commonwealth as they are striving collectively to ensure that they attain gender parity in all Commonwealth Parliaments.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is one of the oldest established organisations in the Commonwealth. Founded in 1911, it is a membership association which brings together Members, irrespective of gender, race, religion or culture, who are united by community of interest, respect for the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms, and by the pursuit of the positive ideals of parliamentary democracy.

The Association is made up of over 180 Legislatures divided up between nine geographic regions of the Commonwealth. It offers a vast opportunity for Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff to collaborate on issues of mutual interest and to share good practice