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MMD wants its MPs out of PF government

MMD wants its MPs out of PF government
By Allan Mulenga, Kombe Chimpinde and Roy Habaalu
Fri 13 July 2012, 14:00 CAT

THE MMD national executive committee has given a 10-day ultimatum to party members of parliament who have been given positions in the government to relinquish their ministerial posts or face expulsion from the party.

But Elijah Muchima says there is nothing wrong with MMD members of parliament aligning themselves with the current government to offer development to the people.

Meanwhile, parliamentary committees deputy chairperson Chifumu Banda has ruled that President Michael Sata is empowered by law to appoint any member of parliament as minister or deputy minister.

The former ruling party has threatened to go for by-elections in all the nine constituencies represented by the affected members of parliament.

Party president Nevers Mumba declined to comment on the matter, saying he would extensively deal with the issue during today's press briefing.

"I will address those issues tomorrow (today), to deal with all national issues, that will be one of them and so I am reserving all my information to my one-time press conference tomorrow today," said Mumba.

Well-placed sources within the MMD's national executive committee (NEC) disclosed that the members of parliament serving as deputy ministers in the government have been told to relinquish their positions or face expulsion from the party.

The sources disclosed that this was arrived at during a caucus held yesterday at the party secretariat.

The sources said party members who have been appointed into President Michael Sata's government were summoned to exculpate themselves as to why they had continued to align themselves with the ruling party against the party's position.

"Yes, the meeting was held today (yesterday), this morning for more than two hours to determine the fate of our colleagues who have been given jobs by Mr Sata. So far, five of them have pitched up for the meeting.

Their names are as follows; Isaac Banda mines deputy minister, Forrie Tembo local government deputy minister, Dr Patrick Chikusu health deputy minister, Nicholas Banda agriculture deputy minister and the newly-appointed education deputy minister Patrick Ngoma," the sources said.

The sources further explained that senior MMD officials were shocked that some of the summoned members came driving their official vehicles flying the national flag.

But Muchima, who is MMD's Ikeleng'i member of parliament and lands deputy minister, said it was unreasonable for some senior party members to contemplate expelling him.

He said there was nothing strange about PF courting MMD members because even the MMD used to do so when it was in power.
Muchima said their appointments into government were all about rendering service to the public.

"All of us, both in MMD and PF, are there to offer a service to the people of Zambia. We are serving with the government. This is a game which was also done by MMD for a long time and even our former president Rupiah Banda, he was from UNIP, even Nevers Mumba came from another party. It's about service to the people of Zambia, it's not about individuals. As backbenchers, we lobby the government of the day to push for development…," said Muchima.

And Ngoma, who is Feira member of parliament and was appointed into government a few days ago, said he was ready for any action that would be taken against him by the party.

He, however, said he would issue a comprehensive statement after being furnished with the expulsion letter.

"My friend, we are in politics. When you are in politics, you must be able to deal with matters depending on how the politics is happening at that point of time. I am still waiting for them to write me. They are saying the meeting was there in the morning, so unfortunately, I have come very late. They have not briefed me anything yet.

So they are saying because they had already spoken to my colleagues. I didn't know that they were here at the secretariat. For now they are saying they still want to conclude their meeting and then thereafter they will be able to communicate to me," said Ngoma after constantly being persuaded to relinquish his new position when he went for a meeting at the secretariat by Rufunsa MMD member of parliament Kenneth Chipungu.

On complaints by some senior party members who felt disappointed after helping him win back the seat which was petitioned by the PF, Ngoma responded: "Who spent that money? No! No! They never spent anything in terms of the legal fees. It was borne by myself. I am telling you sir, that the legal fees were borne by myself, not by the party. It is not just me but all the other candidates who were petitioned. So we paid for everything."

And ruling on a point of order raised by Kawambwa PF member of parliament Nickson Chilangwa on whether the MMD was in order to threaten members appointed as deputy ministers with expulsion to persuade them to vote in a particular way on any future motions, Banda said while the former was right that the president had powers to appoint ministers from the House, it was extremely difficult for him to rule on the other submission over the threats of expulsion on MMD members serving in government in the absence of evidence.

"It is extremely difficult for the chair to rule on the other leg of your submission as you have not placed evidence on the table," said Banda.
Chilangwa said according to standing orders and privileges, no one can threaten, persuade or influence any member to vote on any motion in a particular way against their will.

He said according to Article 46.2 of the Constitution: "Appointment to the office of minister shall be made from amongst members of the National Assembly" and Article 47.3 which says, "Appointment to the office of provincial deputy minister and deputy minister shall be made from amongst members of parliament", President Sata is empowered to appoint any member of parliament as Cabinet minister, provincial minister and deputy minister.

"...We know that the president of MMD Nevers Mumba was appointed as an MP and even as Vice-President when he was president of the NCC party and was not expelled.

The late president Levy Mwanawasa appointed him even after the man (Nevers) had lost an election as presidential candidate. He was only fired after he started undermining the late president by holding press conferences at Government House, which had never happened in the history of Zambia," said Chilangwa.
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Labels: BY-ELECTIONS, ELIJAH MUCHIMA, MMD, PF

posted by MrK @ 1:57 PM