Opposition parties have thrown their support behind a bid by Independent Patriots for Change lawmaker Imms Nashinge to remove National Assembly speaker Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, saying she is ruling parliament with an “iron fist” and bias.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has rejected the motion, saying Nashinge cannot appeal to remove the same person she is appealing to.
“I have to consider whether it can be tabled, but that ruling is deferred,” she said this week.
The IPC, which tabled the motion, says the speaker has repeatedly exercised powers that belong to the parliament itself and failed to follow parliamentary procedures when dealing with members.
Nashinge says the motion was prompted by concerns over the manner in which the speaker has applied the parliament’s standing rules, including the removal of members from the chamber and the handling of complaints against members.
“The House does not fall over twice in a month when the rules are applied evenly,” he says.
The party further raises concerns over what it described as the speaker exercising powers that belong to the parliament itself.
According to the party, standing rule 111(1) requires complaints of contempt against a member to be referred by the House to the committee of privileges, which must report back before any penalty is imposed.
It also cites standing rule 104(1), which provides that a member may only be ordered out of the House after continuing with the conduct despite a warning and after being allowed to be heard.
The party alleges that members have been ordered out of the House in circumstances where neither condition has been met.
The IPC also questions the handling of questions submitted by members of parliament, saying the speaker’s office in July confirmed that about 550 questions had been tabled since the start of the current parliament, with 166 disposed of.
“Question time is where their question has standing,” Nashinge says, referring to members of the public whose concerns are raised through parliamentary questions.
The party says the standing rules provide only one avenue for challenging the conduct of a presiding member, namely through a substantive motion of censure.
“We used the single door the rules provide,” Nashinge says.
‘REJECTED’
Parliamentarian Job Amupanda yesterday said Kuugongelwa-Amadhila is refusing to receive the motion of no confidence against her, saying her refusal has brought the parliament to a standstill.
“Now there is a motion of no confidence. For the first time in the history of Namibia, the official opposition has tabled a vote of no confidence so that the parliament can pass a resolution. She is refusing to receive it,” he said.
Amupanda said the situation has plunged the parliament into chaos, while praising the official opposition for tabling the motion.
Landless People’s Movement spokesperson Lifalaza Simataa yesterday told The Namibian the motion provides an opportunity to scrutinise the speaker’s ability to facilitate debate and accommodate differing views in the parliament.
Simataa said the parliament was evolving into a space with increasingly diverse and robust opposition voices, making the role of the speaker particularly important.
“We have a speaker that is trying to rule the parliament with an iron fist and also shows her bias,” he said.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has not responded to The Namibian’s questions about the motion, but has advised that the query be directed to the office of the secretary.
