The Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF) has called on National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila to voluntarily step aside from presiding over the House for one month.
This comes amid growing concerns over the conduct of parliamentary proceedings.
NEFF deputy leader and parliamentarian Kalimbo Iipumbu proposes that Kuugongelwa-Amadhila use the one-month period to sit in the National Assembly and observe how deputy speaker Phillipus Katamelo conducts proceedings.
Iipumbu says the recent developments in the National Assembly have created an atmosphere of disorder and tension that risks undermining the dignity and public confidence in parliament.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Iipumbu says he was particularly concerned about what he describes as an increasingly rigid and authoritarian approach to the management of the House.
He also raises concerns about what he perceives as unequal treatment of opposition members during parliamentary proceedings.
“I do not make these concerns as established findings of wrongdoing, but rather, I raise them because the perception of impartiality is itself essential to the credibility of parliament,” Iipumbu says.
He says the speaker has a responsibility to ensure that the House is conducted fairly, impartially and in accordance with the Constitution, parliamentary rules and democratic principles.
Iipumbu says the National Assembly belongs to the Namibian people and that its dignity, impartiality and constitutional mandate must take precedence over partisan interests.
