.Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini

By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –

Parliament yesterday unanimously ratified the appointment of two Supreme Court Judges and five Puisne Judges that were appointed by President Michael Sata recently.
Parliament ratified the appointment of Justice Evans Hamaundu and Albert Wood as Supreme court Judges, while those to serve as Puisne Judges are Betty Mung’omba, Chilomobo Mwaka-Phiri, Mwila Chitabo State Counsel, William Mweemba and Charles Chanda.
Presenting the report to Parliament, Chama South Member of Parliament (MP) Effron Lungu who is also chairperson for the Parliament Select Committee said the team interviewed the nominees and carefully studied their credentials.
Dr Lungu said the Committee found that all the nominees have the minimum qualifications prescribed in the Constitution of Zambia to qualify to be appointed as High Court and Supreme Court judges.
“The nominees are well qualified and reports from the security wings indicate that they do not have criminal records,” Dr Lungu said.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini yesterday curtailed questions from the opposition Members of  Parliament (MPs) to the Vice-President Guy Scott bordering on the draft Constitution.
This followed repetitive questions by MPs on the draft Constitution directed to Dr Scott during the Vice-President’s question time in Parliament yesterday.
The Vice-President question time was characterised by Points of Order from both the Opposition and ruling MPs on issues related to the draft Constitution.
Dr Matibini was later forced to interject and remind the MPs on the rules governing the House on repetitive questions on a given subject matter.
“Bear in mind on what the rules of the House say on repetitious debates, the Vice-President crossed references to what the minister of Justice states in his ministerial statement made in the House this week, he has adequately answered questions on the subject, therefore I shall not allow him to answer any questions on the subject” Dr Matibini said.
And Dr Scott told the House that President Sata had at no point indicated that he would not give the people of Zambia the new Constitution, but was merely pointing out that there was no vacuum regarding the current Constitution which only needs amendments.
“All that the President was saying is that the Constitution had defects and that whenever the people wants amendments such as the 50 plus one clause, they can bring it to Parliament to be amended,” he said