(DAILY MAIL) Speaker warns political parties
Speaker warns political partiesBy CHARLES MUSONDA
SPEAKER of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa has warned of action against any political party which disciplines its MPs on the basis of their debates in Parliament.
Mr Mwanamwambwa said on Thursday evening that no MP is allowed to threaten his fellow MP in Parliament.
“You may have differences in your parties but you cannot come here and threaten your fellow MPs with discipline, because that is unconstitutional. Do not threaten your fellow MPs. If I hear that an MP has been victimised because of what he or she said in Parliament, you will see action from me,” he said.
Mr Mwanamwambwa said this after Itezhi-Tezhi MP Godfrey Beene (UPND) said he would take it upon himself to discipline his Namwala counterpart Major Robbie Chizhyuka (UPND) for his continued attacks on the PF-UPND pact.
Mr Beene said if Major Chizhyuka is strong on the ground, he should quit the UPND and prove his political strength in a by-election.
He was countering Major Chizhyuka’s debate on the 2010 national budget.
In his debate, the Namwala MP said the beauty of the Zambian National Assembly is that all elected MPs are in the House courtesy of their constituents and voters.
“No matter how much cacophony, no matter how much noise you make, no matter how many petitions you make, we are here courtesy of the people in our constituencies,” Major Chizhyuka said.
He said it is proper for MPs to give credit to Government where it is due.
He said in 2006 he asked the people of Namwala to give him five years and said if the Choma-Namwala road is not tarred within that period, they should not re-elect him in 2011.
Major Chizhyuka said the government has continued to tar the road at a cost of K167 billion and that for the first time since 1964, the people of Namwala will be able to have a tarred road.
“Do you think people of Namwala cannot be happy? Government has made it possible to put a smile on the faces of people of Namwala,” he said.
Major Chizhyuka said government has also worked on the Niko-Monze road.
He said previously journeys between the two destinations used to take between five and eight hours but now they have been reduced to 55 minutes.
“Are you sure people can’t be happy? Do you expect me to come here and say this budget is hollow? Things are happening in my constituency and Namwala will soon have the fifth largest girls’ technical high school. Can’t the people be happy with such happenings?” Major Chizhyuka asked.
He advised newly elected Kasama Central MP Geoffrey Mwamba (PF) to be mindful that he will be judged on the extent to which he engages government in development programmes and not on how much he will lament in Parliament.
Major Chizhyuka said although the UPND is victimising him for his stance on the PF-UPND pact, Namwala was the best performing constituency in the 2006 general elections.
He said he will continue fighting for the people as he did in Sichifulo where some villagers were displaced.
Major Chizhyuka also praised government for allocating funds to the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).
He said it is unfortunate that political parties which were once considered liberal have now embraced violence, tribalism and intolerance.
“If you combine the Mapatizya formula and the Chawama hacking, then you will get the picture of what is unfolding for Zambia,” he said.
At this point Mapatizya MP Ackson Sejani (UPND) confronted Major Chizhyuka while pointing a finger at him.
And Matero MP Faustina Sinyangwe (PF) advised MPs to be realistic when criticising the government.
Mrs Sinyangwe said because of her realism, she has created many enemies in certain political circles.
“You don’t need to insult or beat someone in order to criticise. Leadership comes from God, and if you have bad intentions for your leadership, God will not give you. We have been at peace because God loves Zambia. Other people can do anything to get to certain positions,” Mrs Sinyangwe said amid heckles from PF MPs.
She dismissed interjections by Roan MP Chishimba Kambwili (PF) that she has been bought by government.
“No one can buy me and I do things that I believe in. I worked in the Ministry of Education for 32 years and came out clean. In other parties, it is taboo to disagree with leadership…antagonism is not my style,” she said.
Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, GOVERNANCE, PARLIAMENT, POLITICS
posted by MrK @ 6:50 AM
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