Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:07:35 +0000
By OSCAR MALIPENGA
THE privileges committee and the Speaker Dr. Patrick Matibini should stand firm and not entertain the UPND scheme of pre-empting the ruling for boycotting Parliament last Friday, says Patriotic Front (PF) Lusaka youth chairman Kennedy Kamba
Mr. Kamba observed that debating the solidarity song by Patriotic Front (PF), MMD, FDD and some Independent members was a scheme to pre-empt the privileges committee’s work who would be examining their second boycott case.
“The solidarity song was not a political song and had nothing to do with the erring UPND members of Parliament,” he said.
Mr. Kamba told the Daily Nation that the Speaker and the privileges committee should stand firm and go ahead to punish the erring UPND members of Parliament for breaching the Standing Orders
Meanwhile, Mr. Kamba has charged that revelations by the UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma that the UPND members were not instructed to boycott Parliament by their leader Hakainde Hichilema was cheap.
Mr. Kamba said the revelations by Mr. Kakoma made it clear that the UPND camp was not coordinating well.
He said the letter restraining the members from attending President Edgar Lungu special address to Parliament was issued by the secretary general Steven Katuka but wondered why Mr. Katuka was claiming the letter was forged.
“So as youths we want to see to it that erring members of the UPND are punished accordingly they deserve a punishment accordingly because of what they did. It was a disrespectful to the President and the people who elected to them to be represented,” Mr Kamba said.
Mr. Kamba said boycotting Parliament would never take development to their respective constituencies.
He said ensuring there was discipline in the House fell on the Speaker of the National Assembly.
“Ours is to urge the speaker to be firm and be strong and to bring sanity in Parliament. We don’t want to see a Parliament which is not disciplined,” Mr. Kamba said.
He said the Speaker should make sure that discipline was installed in the erring UPND members of Parliament.
Mr. Kamba said Mr. Hichilema was not taking the UPND anywhere as he was a filed politician killing his own party.
Mr. Kamba said the singing in solidarity of the President has nothing do with the wrong doing of the UPND MPs.
Mr. Kamba said the song by PF members was not a political song.
Mr. Kamba said Mr. Mwiimbu was being coward when he said he was in Monze attending a burial for his uncle while there was a letter from the secretary general restraining all UPND members from attending Parliament.
