JAY JAY BANDA SLAMS DICTATORSHIP, INJUSTICE IN PARLEY

EMMANUEL Jay Banda, the Petauke Independent legislator yesterday nearly caused mayhem in Parliament shortly before he was slapped with a 30day suspension from attending business for his remarks for allegedly putting the House in disrepute.

Mr Banda was enraged that Parliament under Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti had not only lost its decorum and etiquette but had seen democracy continue to shrink as only members of the opposition and independents were ever being punished while those from the executive were getting away with their truancy and impunity.

Mr Banda said parliamentary democracy had collapsed under the watch of Speaker Mutti and that he was forced to address the House before his suspension because he could not stand the continued harassment from the presiding officers.

Mr Banda described Second Deputy Speaker Malungo Chisangano as very innocent who was being used as a scapegoat to read out his punishment while Speaker Mutti was in her office.

He complained that his motion on mealie-meal subsidies was squashed even after it had been approved by the Speaker and when he wrote to find out why it was dropped, Speaker Mutti allegedly hatched a scheme to suspend him.

Mr Banda said the Speaker was on record telling MPs that they could not bring issues from social media into Parliament yet he had been punished over a statement he posted on his Facebook page in which he raised concerns about the plight of the youth.

And Brian Mundubile, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament said Mr Banda had decided it was time he exposed the conspiracy in the House about how the opposition MPs were to be dismissed from the House to stop them from debating on serious issues affecting the country.

Mr Mundubile said the punishment by the Speaker had only been on one side of the House where only independents and the opposition were the targets and described such acts as unprecedented.

Mr Mundubile said UPND MPs called the law makers from PF as masholi (thieves), and often went tribal to the extent of calling out Bembas and "abaiche" (kids).

He said the opposition had written letters of complaints but none of such UPND MPs had been summoned before the responsible committee.

“During the PF reign, even the then ministers, like Bowman Lusambo appeared before the Privileges and Absences Committee. He was censured and Nickson Chilangwa also appeared before it and he was suspended. Unfortunately for the Nelly Mutti-led Parliament, punishment is only against opposition and independents,” Mr Mundubile said.

Mr Mundubile said what Mr Banda did was to address the House that there was total collapse of governance because the leadership of Parliament had failed and had turned it into an instrument of suppression.

"Jay Jay (Mr Banda) spoke back to inform the House that it is unfair to ill-treat opposition MPs. When opposition MPs speak, they are victimised and when they kept quiet, they are suspended.