National Assembly Confirms Speaker Did NOT Act Illegally On Motion To Impeach Lungu

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The Deputy Clerk for Procedure at the National Assembly - Cecilia Sikatele - has submitted before the Lusaka High Court that the Speaker could not have acted unreasonably, illegally, or without following procedure by purportedly tabling the motion to impeach President Edgar Lungu.

PF lawyer Robert Chabinga and Henry Mulenga have sought judicial review proceedings against the Speaker’s decision on the notice of motion, grounds supporting the notice of motion and signatures of one third of the members house supporting the same which UPND member of parliament Garry Nkombo and NDC political consultant Chishimba Kambwili presented on March 23, 2018.

Chabinga and Mulenga have since been granted leave to challenge the Speaker’s decision, which acted as a stay of the decision to table the motion. Nkombo and Kambwili have applied to join the proceedings because they have an interest in the case as mover and seconder of the impeachment motion.

Judge Annesie Bobo-Banda has set April 24 for inter partes hearing of the case.

But Sikatele submitted that there was no basis upon which the applicants should be granted leave to commence judicial review proceedings as the application was premised, anchored or founded on a misapprehension of facts because no decision has been made yet on whether or not the motion is admissible.

“The motion is still being studied by the Speaker and he will make a decision on the admissibility of the motion in due course,” said Sikatele.

The Speaker had decided that the motion would be tabled and discussed at full length at a given date in June 2018. Chabinga and Mulenga have cited Attorney General Likando Kalaluka.

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