We’re left with no option but to impeach Rupiah – HH

We’re left with no option but to impeach Rupiah – HH
Written by Patson Chilemba
Saturday, July 18, 2009 9:35:03 PM

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said the UPND and PF have been left with no option but to impeach President Rupiah Banda because he has completely failed the country. In an interview, Hichilema said the PF and UPND would use all the legal provisions at their disposal to remove President Banda and the "corrupt" MMD out of office.

On information minister Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha's statement that Hichilema and PF president Michael Sata were desperate politicians who wanted to go to State House at all cost, Hichilema said he and Sata never created impeachment provisions but were merely being responsible citizens applying the law to remove a corrupt government from office.

"I have always told you that Shikapwasha has a shallow mind. That is a legal provision, which is part of government, and when they are excessive like this government, you are left with no option. You are aware that Frederick Chiluba has no immunity. Was it not this same government which applied the law to remove that immunity?" Hichilema asked. "We are invoking any other democratic avenue to deal with a government which is impervious, which is irresponsible. And if we wanted to go to State House at all cost, would Shikapwasha stop us? Because the conditions are ripe for that. He wants us to send cadres on the streets? The biggest impeachment is 2011. If we do not achieve now, we won't be discouraged."

And Hichilema said allowing the finance minister to be the paymaster for the executive, the judiciary and the legislature would only help in compromising all the arms of the government.

Hichilema said it was disgraceful for the government to want to make the minister of finance a paymaster for the politicians, civil servants and the Judiciary.

He said already there were complaints that the Judiciary was compromised.

Hichilema said allowing the minister of finance to be the paymaster would be a negation to the separation of powers.

Recently, Sata said the government wanted to introduce two bills to create different salary structures for politicians and those for civil servants.

He said the government would introduce the Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Emoluments) (Amendment) Bill, 2009.

The Bill states as follows: "(a) empower the Minister responsible for finance to prescribe, by statutory instrument, the emoluments payable to the holder of the office of Vice-President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Cabinet Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Chief Whip, Deputy Chief Whip, Deputy Minister, Deputy Chairperson of Committees and Private Member of the National Assembly; and (b) provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing."

Sata said there was another salary structure aimed at making the minister of finance a paymaster for those in the judiciary.

Sata said the practice in the Commonwealth was that salaries for politicians and those for the judiciary should go through parliament.