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Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia is a position established under Article 69(1) of the constitution. The Speaker is elected by members of the Assembly from anyone eligible to be elected to the National Assembly, but cannot be a sitting member.[1]

History

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The post of Speaker was first created on 10 November 1948 when the Governor appointed Thomas Spurgeon Page to preside over the Legislative Council following the 1948 general elections. Previously the Governor had also held the position of the President of the Legislative Council.[2]

The Speakers of the Legislative Council were appointed by the Governor. Shortly after independence in 1964, appointed Speaker of the renamed National Assembly Thomas Williams stepped down and was replaced by Wesley Nyirenda, who was the MP for Fort Jameson. Nyrienda remained a constituency MP. After Nyirenda resigned in 1968, Speakers were appointed from outside the National Assembly by a vote of Assembly members.

List of speakers

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Name Term start Term end Ref
Thomas Spurgeon Page 1948 1956
Thomas Williams 1956 1964 [3]
Wesley Nyirenda 1964 1968 [3]
Robinson Nabulyato 1968 1988 [3]
Fwanyanga Mulikita 1988 1991 [3]
Robinson Nabulyato 1991 1998 [3]
Amusaa Mwanamwambwa 1998 2011 [3]
Patrick Matibini 2011 2021 [3]
Nelly Mutti 2021 Present [4]

References

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  1. ^ The Speaker National Assembly of Zambia
  2. ^ Ng'ona Mwela Chibesakunda (2001) The Parliament of Zambia, p26
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Ken Ochieng' Opalo (2019) Legislative Development in Africa: Politics and Postcolonial Legacies p214
  4. ^ "Zambia : Prominent Lusaka Lawyer Nelly Mutti elected as the first ever woman Speaker of the National Assembly". 3 September 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
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