Maravi

Speakers orders Liato to remove Rupiah’s campaign badge from jacket

Speakers orders Liato to remove Rupiah’s campaign badge from jacket
By Mwala Kalaluka
Fri 24 Sep. 2010, 16:00 CAT

SPEAKER Amusaa Mwanamwambwa on Thursday ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove an “RB 2011” campaign badge from labour minister Austin Liato’s jacket on grounds that political campaign materials are not allowed in Parliament.

And Bweengwa UPND member of parliament Highvie Hamududu has described President Rupiah Banda’s talk about the country’s economic growth during his recent address before Parliament as fake and irrelevant.

During a question for oral answer session in Parliament on Thursday afternoon, Chipili PF parliamentarian Davies Mwila rose on a point of order and asked Speaker Mwanamwambwa to rule whether or not it was proper for Liato to come to the House putting on a badge written RB 2011.

“Mr Speaker is the Minister of Labour in order to come to this House with a badge saying ‘RB 2011’, which is a campaign material, is he in order?” Mwila asked. “I need your serious ruling.”

In his ruling, Speaker Mwanamwambwa said Mwila’s point of order was correct.

“The ruling is, it is not in order,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa said. “That campaign material (badge) should be confiscated.”

Speaker Mwanamwambwa said such campaign materials should not be allowed to enter the chamber and he directed the Sergeant-at-Arms who was seated at the back of the chamber to confiscate the badge from Liato, who was seated on the front bench.

As Speaker Mwanamwambwa delivered his ruling, Liato removed the badge and lands minister Gladys Lundwe handed it to the Sergent-At-Arms.

And during debate on President Banda’s speech to the fifth session of the tenth National Assembly, Hamududu said the poor translation of the presidential pronouncements into tangible programmes had reduced such speeches to a boring exercise.

“To a point where most of the Presidents’ addresses to this House have become boring,” Hamududu said. “No matter how special the speech will be that speech will be good for nothing.”

Hamududu said although Zambia had a weaker currency it was surprising that the country had a poor export base.

“A weaker currency promotes export. A strong currency is dangerous for a country like this one because you can’t export,” he said.

Hamududu said the economic growth that President Banda had referred to in his address was nothing because most Zambians were still poor.

“Therefore, this growth is at best fake,” Hamududu said. “That is irrelevant to the people of Bweengwa and elsewhere.”

Hamududu said maybe the government was creating the above economic growth for the foreigners that had invested in Zambia.

“The growth is not appreciated. It is at best fake because it does not address the issues,” said Hamududu. “The high poverty levels that the President acknowledged, the poverty is increasing.”

Labels: AMUSA MWANAMWAMBA, AUSTIN LIATO, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU, MMD, PARLIAMENT

posted by MrK @ 12:28 AM