National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has deferred a motion by Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Michael Mulunga to remove her as the speaker. Responding to Mulunga in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila deferred the motion, saying Mulunga could not appeal to remove the same person he was appealing to. “I have […] The post Kuugongelwa-Amadhila defers motion to remove her as National Assembly speaker appeared first on The Namibian .
National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has deferred a motion by Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament Michael Mulunga to remove her as the speaker.
Responding to Mulunga in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila deferred the motion, saying Mulunga could not appeal to remove the same person he was appealing to.
“I have to consider whether it can be tabled, but that ruling is deferred,” she said.
Mulunga said the motion is the first of its kind since independence. He said it does not make allegations about the speaker’s character, but concerns a duty and whether the duty has been met.
Citing the Constitution, Mulunga said the law requires the speaker to act fairly and impartially and to apply the parliamentary rules to ensure the participation of all members.
The Constitution allows for the speaker to be removed from office by a resolution of the National Assembly.
“This year, the house failed to function twice. On 17 June proceedings collapsed over rulings of the chair. Members of four parties objected that they were ruled out of order before the point of order could be stated,” he said.
Mulunga said almost every opposition party withdrew over the conduct of a vote on 10 July, resulting in the quorum failing.
“A house does not fall over twice in a month when rules are applied evenly,” he said.
The post Kuugongelwa-Amadhila defers motion to remove her as National Assembly speaker appeared first on The Namibian.
