Maravi

Opposition MPs grill minister over fair elections assurance

Opposition MPs grill minister over fair elections assurance
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 23 June 2011, 08:20 CAT

OPPOSITION members of parliament grilled home affairs minister Mkhondo Lungu after he presented a ministerial statement which assured the nation of fair and violence free elections. Lungu’s statement invited many questions from the opposition who wanted to know why MMD cadres were allowed to commit violence in the presence of law enforcement agencies.

Leading the onslaught in Parliament on Tuesday, Chipili Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Davies Mwila wanted to find out why the MMD had allowed its Lusaka Province chairman William Banda to foment violence against citizens at will, including harassing mourners at former president Frederick Chiluba’s funeral.

Mwila’s question was backed by his Munali counterpart Mumbi Phiri who wanted a categorical answer on the matter.

But before Lungu could respond, National Assembly Speaker Amusaa Mwanamwambwa intervened and cautioned members of parliament against being emotional when asking questions so that he did not rule them out of order.

“In the honourable minister’s statement I did not hear anything about a funeral house. Do not be carried away by matters of the moment, stick to the honourable minister’s statement,” Speaker Mwanamwambwa said.

Speaker Mwanamwambwa later asked Lungu to respond to the two questions at once.
In response, Lungu said he had been to the house of mourning the previous day and there was peace.

“I can assure Honourable members that anyone who violates the law will be taken care of by the law,” Lungu said.

Asked by Itezhi tezhi UPND member of parliament Godfrey Beene if he was assuring the nation that even MMD cadres who perpetrated violence would be arrested, Lungu answered in the affirmative.

“Nobody will be treated with kids gloves; all those who disobey the law will account for that,” Lungu said.

Asked by Chilanga UPND member of parliament Captain Cosmas Moono why he should be trusted now when he had failed to act in the past, Lungu complained that it was not fair for Moono to refer to him as a failure.

And when asked by Zambezi West UPND member of parliament Charles Kakoma why police failed to arrest MMD cadres who beat him during the Mufumbwe parliamentary by-election last year, Lungu said he would follow up the issue.

Earlier in his ministerial statement, Lungu said the government had lined up programmes that would ensure free, fair and non-violent elections.

He said programmes ranged from retraining of security officers and sensitisation of the public to procurement of operational equipment.

“The Zambia Police has come up with a programme to retrain police officers countrywide in the management of public safety and security. In addition the police will carry out countrywide publicity on the dangers of violence and excessive beer drinking during the election period,” said Lungu.

“I am pleased to inform the House and all the Zambian people that for the first time Zambia will establish a communication centre under the police elections project. The centre will act as a central point for receiving all electoral related reports or complaints from the public on security issues relating to th e conduct of elections countrywide.”

Labels: 2011 ELECTIONS, ECZ, MKHONDO LUNGU

posted by MrK @ 5:41 PM