PF accuses Speaker Mutti of defying court, warns of ‘constitutional dictatorship’

Patriotic Front (PF) acting president, Given Lubinda, has accused Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, of defying the Constitutional Court and undermining the rule of law by allowing the amendment process of the Constitution to proceed despite a court ruling to defer it.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday, Lubinda said the Speaker’s actions amounted to a declaration of war on the Constitution.

“When Parliament decides to disregard court orders, it tramples on the principle of separation of powers—and that is the crisis Zambia is facing today,” Lubinda said.

He questioned the legal and moral authority of lawmakers who defy court rulings, warning that such behavior erodes public confidence in governance.

“What laws should citizens now respect when their own representatives are the first to break them?” he asked.

Lubinda further warned against repeating past constitutional blunders, referencing prolonged legal battles over presidential eligibility.

“We remember the eligibility circus. We know the wasted years and resources. We demand that this regime not repeat the same mistake,” he said.

Lubinda lamented that Parliament had abandoned serious national issues such as rising bread prices, job losses, and national debt, and instead become a platform for attacking late President Edgar Lungu.

“What does it say about your governance if you feel more comfortable insulting the dead than facing the living with answers? We demand a return to decorum. Insults will not fill empty stomachs,” Lubinda added.

He also criticized members of the legal profession, singling out legal activist Isaac Mwanza, accusing them of abandoning professional integrity for political convenience.

“Zambia’s legal community must remember: you are the final guardians of the Constitution—not its undertakers. We challenge the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to restore faith in the profession before all credibility is lost,” he said.

PF Media Director, Edwin Lifwekelo, echoed Lubinda’s sentiments, praising LAZ for taking legal action against the Speaker’s decision.

“LAZ has done what any credible legal body should do—stand up to the abuse, manipulation, and rape of the Constitution,” Lifwekelo said.

He alleged that the ruling UPND had adopted an authoritarian style of governance, suppressing dissent and weakening oversight institutions.

“When an institution mandated to defend the Constitution does exactly that, why does State House react with such venom?” Lifwekelo asked.

He said most institutions had been reduced to “toothless lapdogs,” except LAZ, which had shown the courage to “bark” when democracy was under threat.

Referring to Speaker Mutti’s remarks defending her handling of the amendment process, Lifwekelo said her so-called “figurative” speech was a clear sign of intent to bypass the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7 of 2025.

“Zambians remember that this Bill—like so many others under this government—was crafted behind closed doors, without adequate public consultation, and was found wanting by the very courts this government now wants to sidestep,” he charged.

Lifwekelo called on Zambians to reject what he described as a “coordinated smear campaign” against LAZ, and to recognize it as an attempt to discredit the last remaining institution capable of defending the Constitution.

“Instead of lecturing LAZ on objectivity, State House should lecture itself on respecting court orders and protecting democratic institutions from abuse,” he stated.

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