By Mubanga Mubanga
Former Attorney General Musa Mwenye says the clerk of the National Assembly should release the proceedings and votes over bill 7
In a statement yesterday, Mwenye stated that the clerk should also explain why the division list which shows how each member voted on bill 7 had not been released.
“The Clerk of the National Assembly should release the proceedings and votes over Bill 7 together with the division list which shows exactly how each member of parliament voted as required by the standing orders. The clerk of the National Assembly should also explain why the division list showing how each member of parliament voted on Bill 7 has not been released as required by the standing orders,” Mwenye stated. “Was the vote unanimous? Did some MP’s vote against the bill? If so, how many? Like the President, I am interested to know exactly who voted for or against Bill 7. According to the standing orders of Parliament, every vote is followed by the publication of the votes and proceedings of the day. When a vote is taken, a division list is always published showing exactly how each and every MP voted. For some reason, the Division list for Bill 7 has never been published by the National Assembly
Mwenye was commenting on the revelation by President Hakainde Hichilema that four UPND members did not vote for bill 7, which contradicted the announcement by parliament that the vote was unanimous.
Mwenye stated the inconsistencies over bill 7 voting was worrying.
“The inconsistencies over the exact vote on Bill 7 are worrying. There is a disparity between what the National Assembly announced and what the Republican President recently revealed. As you are aware, on the 13th of June, 2026, the President of the Republic of Zambia revealed that four UPND members voted against Bill 7,” stated Mwenye stated. “This of course contradicts the announcement from parliament that the bill received a unanimous vote with no votes in opposition.The concerns are made worse by the fact that, contrary to the standing orders and parliamentary practice, the National Assembly has not released the proceedings and votes over Bill 7.”
