Maravi

MMD, UPND MPs mock PF

MMD, UPND MPs mock PF
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Thu 03 Nov. 2011, 14:30 CAT

OPPOSITION MPs heckled and mocked the Patriotic Front government over manoeuvres by President Michael Sata to appoint Xavier Chungu as Luapula Province permanent secretary.

Gwembe United Party for National Development (UPND) member of parliament Brian Ntundu said the appointment of Chungu, Zambia's former intelligence chief who is suspected to have anchored late Frederick Chiluba's sustained haemorrhaging the country's coffers, signaled the end of President Sata's fight against graft.

Ntundu who laid on the table The Post newspaper edition number 5492 headlined ‘Sata appoints Xavier PS' said he had been "put off" by Chungu's appointment.

"If what you have written, "then you are gone." And if it's true, through, then we are not fighting corruption. What is true from your good friend "your paper" The Post newspaper which is only a friend to you only… I can even lay it on the table of the House," Ntundu said amidst shouts of ki masholi (they are thieves) from some UPND MPs.

He said PF should not overrate its election victory that saw the party dislodge MMD from power after 20 years.

"I am now beginning to think MMD was a better government," said Ntundu as opposition MPs burst into shouts of hear! hear! hear! hear!

Ntundu said the opposition would only support the PF government if it brought progressive bills to Parliament.

"We are not bitter and we shall support you when you bring in good Bills that favour Zambians. If you bring in motions that would not be in favour of Zambians, we shoot them down and you can dissolve if you feel like and you will see us here again," said Ntundu.

He, however, said Zambians were not interested in going for another election.

"If our President thinks there is money in the coffers, let him do the roads. Let him not take that money for another election. People of Zambia are not interested," said Ntundu.

Last week, President Sata threatened to dissolve Parliament if the opposition MMD and UPND continued to frustrate the fight against corruption by undermining formulation of legislation aimed to strengthen the fight against the vice.

President Sata said if the opposition for the second time shot down the motion to have the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) adopted, he would have no option but to dissolve Parliament and call for elections.

And Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) MP for Luena Mulumemui Imenda said fighting corruption did not amount to witch-hunting.

"I support the President. I must state that it is not witch-hunting to investigate cases of corruption," said Imenda when delivering her maiden speech to Parliament. "The investigation is about what happened, if there is a who, well let them explain."

Labels: BRIAN NTUNDU, CORRUPTION, MMD, PF, UPND, XAVIER CHUNGU

posted by MrK @ 5:21 PM