Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini has ordered Members of Parliament to stop conducting interviews with members of the press on the proceedings of the House.
Making a ruling last evening, Dr Matibini said it was a breach of parliamentary privileges to disclose the media details of parliamentary meetings held in camera.
“It is a breach of parliamentary privileges and contempt of the House for any person to publish the proceedings of the committee before the committee’s report has been presented to the House,” he said.
This was in his ruling on a Point of Order raised by Patriotic Front (PF) Bangweulu MP Chifita Mutafwali regarding a media report the was leaked to the press discloseing that Dr Matibini intended to suspend MMD vice-president Michael Kaingu from parliament for tearing President Sata’s speech.
Dr Matibini said he was perturbed to realize that Kaingu’s suspension was leaked to the media even before he announced the ruling in Parliament.
Section 25 (a) of the National Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act Cap 12 of the Laws of Zambia provides that: “Any person who (a) publishes, save by the general or special leave of the Assembly, a report of any proceedings of the Assembly or any committee when such proceedings have not been held in public, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding 5, 000 penalty units or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding 12 months or both,” Dr Matibini warned.