Maravi

PF MP justifies voting against Lubinda's motion

PF MP justifies voting against Lubinda's motion
By Mutuna Chanda
Saturday March 22, 2008 [12:00]

SHIWANG’ANDU Patriotic Front member of parliament Major Celestino Chibamba has justified his voting with the ruling MMD to defeat a motion for an amendment to the budget moved by Kabwata member of parliament Given Lubinda. Lubinda moved a motion to get K15 billion from the K90 billion allocated as contingency funds and allocated for Youth or Women Empowerment.

In the amendment, Lubinda proposed that the Youth Empowerment Fund be administered by the government through local authorities, a move that was opposed by local government minister, Sylvia Masebo and UPND Mazabuka member of parliament, Gary Nkombo.

Masebo accused Lubinda of deliberately trying to mislead the youth that the government was against funding youth projects.

“The Constituency Development Funds (CDF) were increased to capture macro-income generating activities for youths and women, so this application for an amendment is out of order,” said Masebo. “MPs should not be misguiding themselves they should be pushing for an increase in CDF and Citizens Economic Empowerment Funds in the 2009 budget.”

In a division vote, seventy-nine members voted against the amendment and only 31 voted for the motion. Fourteen members of parliament, mostly from the United Party for National Development (UPND) abstained.

Six PF members of parliament that voted with the MMD against the amendment on Wednesday were Faustina Sinyangwe (Matero), Marjorie Masiye (Mufulira), Saviour Chishimba (Kasama), Barnabas Chella (Wusakile), Alfreda Mwamba (Lukashya) and Major Chibamba.

After voting, Maj Chibamba, when asked why he voted with the MMD said, “there is no law in Parliament which says that when I am clear on an issue then I should not be free to vote as I wish. The issue is not about partisan politics.”

Labels: GIVEN LUBINDA, PF

posted by MrK @ 9:09 PM