National Assembly Speaker Nelly Mutti says she is deeply humbled to have been re-elected to lead the expanded House, pledging at State House to keep its dignity, honour and decorum intact. Ms Mutti said Members of Parliament showed confidence in her by giving her another…

National Assembly Speaker Nelly Mutti says she is deeply humbled to have been re-elected to lead the expanded House, pledging at State House to keep its dignity, honour and decorum intact.

Ms Mutti said Members of Parliament showed confidence in her by giving her another mandate to preside over the affairs of the National Assembly. A lawyer, she made history in 2021 as the first female Speaker in the more than 100-year history of Zambia’s legislature.

Her second term came without a rival, and she said that mattered to her.

“Today, they have again re-elected me, and I was unopposed. That means a lot to me; it means the House has confidence in me,” she said.

She spoke at State House after an affirmation ceremony for her and her two deputies, held following their election by the House.

Her return was settled before the chamber sat to vote. Only Ms Mutti and Malungo Chisangano were nominated for Speaker and First Deputy Speaker when nominations closed on Wednesday, and both were declared elected unopposed.

The only contest was for Second Deputy Speaker. Nshamba Muzungu, the Mufumbwe Independent MP, and Vincent Mwale, the Chipangali West Independent MP, were both nominated, which sent the House to a vote. Mr Muzungu won with 166 votes against 58.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Mutti thanked President Hakainde Hichilema for nominating her for a second term and pledged her loyalty to the Constitution. She then told the House what its choice represented.

“Today, you have chosen continuity, experience and stability. I do not take this lightly,” she said.

She set out three commitments to guide her leadership of the 14th National Assembly: impartiality, dignity and discipline, and accountability for growth. Impartiality came first, and she was direct about it.

“The Speaker has no party, no region and no tribe,” Ms Mutti said. “The Standing Orders are my only political party. The Constitution is my only manifesto.”

Every MP would receive a fair hearing, she said, whether they sit on the right or the left. That includes members of the United Party for National Development (UPND), the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), the Resolute Party (RP), Citizens First (CF) and Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP), as well as Independent, nominated and proportional representation members.

She also pledged to protect minority MPs, and to protect majority MPs from obstruction, so that the House delivers on what Zambians expect of it.

On discipline, Ms Mutti said members were expected to disagree but not become enemies. She urged returning law-makers to mentor new members and not to intimidate or bully them.

The expanded House has 226 constituency MPs, 40 members elected through proportional representation drawn from women, youth and persons with disabilities, and 11 nominated members, five of whom have already been named.

At State House, Mr Hichilema congratulated the three presiding officers and said he was confident Ms Mutti would provide wise leadership, guidance, impartial counsel and firm direction in the House. He closed his remarks to her with a wish for the work ahead.

“May wisdom, fairness and integrity guide your work, service to people of Zambia in the House,” the President said.

He tied the occasion to the constitutional reforms behind the expanded Parliament, which raised constituencies from 156 to 226 and added 40 seats under the mixed member proportional representation system. The Head of State said the day was “worth celebrating not by some, but by all of us.”

Mr Hichilema said his Government respects the separation of powers and the independence of Parliament, but he also told law-makers where he expects the House to put its energy.

“Parliament must support the Grow Zambia Agenda, and then we can move as a nation to create more jobs for our people, create more opportunities to improve the lives of our people,” he said.

Ms Mutti set the same test for the chamber’s work. She said the 14th National Assembly has been convened under the Grow Zambia Agenda and that legislative oversight must turn its targets into jobs.

“Every Bill we pass, every budget we approve, must answer one question: Does it grow Zambia?” she said.

She later said she would carry out her duties with impartiality and looked forward to a “very exciting” but busy National Assembly.

Vice-President Mutale Nalumango congratulated Ms Mutti on her re-election and said her acceptance speech had set the tone for parliamentary business. She said she was confident the Speaker and the other presiding officers would ensure that the rights of all law-makers are respected.

Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) Zambia executive director Regina Katongo said the re-election of Ms Mutti and the First Deputy Speaker would strengthen women’s participation and leadership in democratic institutions.

Parliament was later adjourned until Friday next week, when Mr Hichilema is set to officially open the first session of the 14th National Assembly.