Umodzi Kum’mawa red cards Speaker over JJ

…urges UPND to stop ‘mingalato’ for political expediency with the view of turning the country into a one-party state. By NATION REPORTER THE action by Speaker Nelly Mutti to notify the Electoral Commission of Zambia that the Petauke Central seat held by Emmanuel Jay Banda had fallen vacant was illegal, irrational, and undermined the fundamental principles of democracy. The Kum’mawa Development Coalition says the authority to declare a parliamentary seat vacant solely lied with the courts, and not with the Speaker. Coalition spokesperson Chanoda Ngwira said the maneuver by UPND was a reflection of a trend of desperation aimed at increasing their numbers in Parliament through the misuse of state institutions. “The actions taken in Kawambwa, where the law was disregarded despite an existing court order, serve as a troubling precedent. Now, we witness a similar affront to legal processes in Petauke, showing a blatant disregard for the rule of law,” Mr Ngwira said in […]