Maravi

UPND plans to block Monde at Parliament

UPND plans to block Monde at Parliament
By Kombe Chimpinde
Tue 26 Feb. 2013, 14:00 CAT

OPPOSITION UPND is planning to prevent its expelled Itezi-Tezhi member of parliament Greyford Monde, from entering Parliament today. UPND deputy spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa yesterday said his party was not expecting Monde to be anywhere near the Parliament buildings today.

According to some UPND members of parliament, some members had been delegated by the party to make sure Monde does not enter the House.

And Mweetwa said the party had written to the Speaker of National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini concerning Monde's expulsion and that they were expecting him to declare Monde's seat vacant yesterday.

And Monde said he received his expulsion yesterday around 10:00 hours and that he would wait for official communication from the Speaker on the matter.
Monde was suspended and eventually expelled by the party days after President Michael Sata appointed him deputy agriculture minister.

Mweetwa, who described Monde as shameless and myopic, warned that Monde would receive political baptism for electing impunity against the party.
"That will make him grow as a young politician. I think self recommendation, evaluation and elevation should be discouraged," Mweetwa said.

"We are wondering what he means when he says he would rather lose a seat than be an ineffective member of parliament. First of all, to draw a parallel of what he has said, we as UPND would rather lose a seat of parliament than have an undisciplined member of parliament who does not know why he was voted to go to Parliament."

Mweetwa said he expected all members in UPND to know that it was time for the party to be in the opposition and not to serve in government.
"We expect that our members of parliament are well informed to know that this is PF's time to be the ruling party and this is UPND's time to be in the opposition to provide credible checks and balances. So each of us should respect this mandate and responsibility placed upon. If you are in opposition, you have to hold the ruling party to account on its promise in the manifesto and rule of law. This is our job," he said.

"Those who were in PF, who thought they were bigger and cleverer than the party, and decided to take a position different from the party… all those people today are wishing they did not do that. Some of them could have been ministers. I think every day they wake up, they reminisce over their wrong decisions and regret."

Mweetwa said Monde lacked knowledge of his role as a member of parliament in a democratic dispensation.

"The idea behind democracy is we should not sing one song. To have a figmentation in one's mind that you can only serve at the level of minister or deputy minister is myopic and shameful," he said.
Mweetwa also accused Monde of compromising some district and council officials to defect to the PF with him.

"Like those who are supporting him in Itezhi-Tezhi. We don't know, maybe he has bought them bags of fertiliser or seed or even a cow. That is expected," said Mweetwa.

Labels: CORNELIUS MWEETWA, DEMONSTRATION, GREYFORD MONDE, UPND

posted by MrK @ 10:20 PM