RULING BY THE HON MADAM SPEAKER ON THE POINT OF ORDER BY DR C K KALILA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR LUKULU EAST PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY AGAINST MR R NAKACINDA OVER STATEMENTS ATTRIBUTED TO MR R NAKACINDA IN AN ARTICLE ENTITLED “STOP BEING EMOTIONAL, NAKACINDA TELLS SPEAKER” PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY NATION NEWSPAPER, ISSUE NO. 3074, DATED TUESDAY, 5TH OCTOBER, 2021

 

Hon Members will recall that on Monday, 6th October, 2021, when the House was considering the Ministerial Statement by the Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Hon P C C Kabuswe, MP, and Mr A C Mumba, Member of Parliament for Kantanshi Parliamentary Constituency was on the Floor, Dr C K Kalila, Member of Parliament for Lukulu East Parliamentary Constituency raised a Point of Order against Mr R Nakacinda, member of the Patriotic Front Party Central Committee. The Point of Order was based on an article entitled “Stop being emotional, Nakacinda tells Speaker” published in the Daily Nation Newspaper, Issue No 3074, dated Tuesday, 5th October, 2021.  In the said article, Mr R Nakacinda is alleged to have reflected on the impartiality of the Speaker in the discharge of the Speaker’s duties.

 

In the Point of Order, Dr C K Kalila, MP, asked the following questions:

 

(i) whether Mr R Nakacinda, who was a member of the Central Committee of the PF party, was in order to cast aspersions on the Speaker and her Office, thereby calling into question her impartiality and character; and

(ii) whether by making the statements attributed to him in the newspaper article, Mr R Nakacinda, was not in contempt of the House.

 

In my immediate response to the Point of Order, I reserved my ruling to enable me consider and investigate the matter. 

 

Hon Members, having considered the matter and given the serious issues raised in the Point of Order, I, in accordance with section 28 (5) of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act, Cap. 12 of the Laws of Zambia, refer the matter to the Committee on Privileges and Absences for detailed examination.

 

I thank you.

 

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