Zambia’s Speaker, Mutti, urges patience as ruling looms on defecting MPs

Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, has called for patience as the House awaits a ruling on whether MPs who have defected to the ruling party can continue attending sittings.

The issue arose after Mkushi South Member of Parliament, Davies Chisopa, raised a point of order on Monday, questioning the legitimacy of the affected lawmakers’ continued participation.

Chisopa cited Article 72 of the Constitution, arguing that seats should be declared vacant once a member defects from the party that sponsored them.

Read more: Crisis-ridden PF urges Speaker Mutti to declare seats vacant for MPs who dumped their parties

In response, Mutti said the matter was already under consideration following an earlier submission.

“I urge the House to be patient as the matter is being looked into,” she said, adding that a detailed ruling will be delivered soon.

The development follows a wave of defections involving independent MPs and members of the former ruling Patriotic Front who have recently joined the governing party ahead of Parliament’s expected dissolution.

The forthcoming ruling is expected to clarify constitutional provisions on defections and guide the participation of affected MPs in parliamentary proceedings.

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