Maravi

Sata blames MPs for economic problems

Sata blames MPs for economic problems
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Monday, January 05, 2009 6:19:42 PM

ZAMBIA would not have suffered economic problems if members of parliament represented people's interests in Parliament, Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata has said.

And Sata said his party is not ready to make proposals for the 2009 budget formulation process because President Rupiah Banda’s Cabinet has not proved its commitment to the serious undertaking.

In an interview after attending Sunday mass at Lusaka’s St Ignatius Catholic Church, Sata said members of parliament, regardless of their political affiliation, should be conscious of why they were elected into office as they resume sitting on January 16, 2009 so that the current economic problems that the country was going through could be eliminated.

Sata said members of parliament should represent the people so that the current economic problems could be dealt with.

“They know why they have gone to Parliament and that is to talk to the people, not people talking for themselves, the MPs are supposed to talk for the people,” he said.

“All of them, regardless of which political party they belong to, if they were talking for the people, there would be no problem that we are facing now.”

And Sata said it would be premature for the PF to make suggestions regarding how this year's budget should be crafted. The 2009 budget comes against a background of a global financial and economic recession and a drop in copper prices on the global market.

“Let us see what Rupiah Banda is going to say. Once we know what Rupiah Banda is going to say, that is when we are going to comment,” said Sata, after he was asked to give pointers to the government as it prepares to deliver its national budget.

“We have not seen that draft budget and if we have not seen that draft budget, we can't comment.

We have to look at that draft budget. We have to see the commitment of the government, once we have seen the commitment of the government, we can comment, we can put in an input.”

Labels: GREAT DEPRESSION II, MPs, SATA

posted by MrK @ 6:21 PM