By MUYANI SHINJABALE and SANFROSSA MANYINDA
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) Chairman for Labour Gabriel Namulambe has resigned from his position and party citing dictatorial tendencies after he refused to apologise for supporting Bill 10.
Confirming his resignation, Mr Namulambe told the Daily Nation in Luanshyathat he would rather stick with the people that believe the bill was progressive than follow the party’s dictatorial lines.
The resignation came after the opposition party ordered Mr Namulambe to apologise for issuing a statement earlier yesterday that he supported the bill and for not analysing it in the party lines. He described the opposition UPND as undemocratic for refusing to listen to his divergent views over the matter.
“Bill 10 in its current state has progressive clauses which will benefit the people of Zambia. I therefore urge all UPND members of parliament to stay in parliament to debate the clauses they believe are not beneficial to the general citizenry,” he advised.
Refusing to apologise for supporting Bill 10, Mr Namulambe said it was best for him to resign for the welfare of the Zambian people.
He indicated that he had no reason to not be in support of Bill 10 which the UPND was rejecting.
Mr Namulambe, who is also former Mpongwe Member of Parliament and Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, said Bill 10 was a progressive law and his support for it was in national interest. He said Bill 10 has very good progressive clauses which needed to be supported by every well meaning person.
He said Bill 10 had many good clauses which included the recognition of Chiefs and delimitation of large constituencies.
“Members of Parliament have a constitutional duty to put the interest of the people first than a political party,” he said.
He therefore, praised government for being transparent in the way it was handling Bill 10. He urged opposition Members of Parliament to stop walking out of Parliament when the Bill was being discussed because they had a duty to put across their arguments for the betterment of their electorates.
He said when Copperbelt rural gets more constituencies, development will be enhanced as Constituency Development Fund will be increased in areas where there was only one constituency.
He wished those opposing the Bill goo luck stating that if they were copying from Malawi and thought they would win in Zambia with such selfishness, they would be shocked.
Mr Namulamne therefore, refused to apologise to the UPND for supporting the Bill and opted to go alone in politics.
Meanwhile, National Democratic Congress Copperbelt Vice Chairman Samuel Munthali has resigned from his position and party.
Mr. Munthali said his decision to resign is personal and has a politician he needs to grow.
He said his resignation is with immediate effect from July 5, 2020.
“I have resigned from the NDC. I have also resigned from my position as vice Copperbelt Chairman with immediate effect since last night July 5, 2020. So I am no longer a member of NDC,” said Mr. Munthali.
He said he will focus on his political career because he needs to be more involved and grow.
Mr. Munthali is the immediate former Local government Association of Zambia President and former Mayor of Ndola.
