LAZ faces vote of no confidence

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 12:49:49 +0000

By NATION REPORTER

A motion for a vote of no confidence in the entire Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) executive will finally be moved at the association’s Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) which has been called to resolve the differences which have left the association widely divided.

In a notice for the Extraordinary Meeting dated 19th April, 2017, LAZ honorary secretary Sashi Kateka said the association’s council had accepted to hold its EGM as demanded by its members to consider a motion of no confidence in the entire LAZ council.

The LAZ Council has suddenly U-turned on its earlier plea to have demands for the EGM withdrawn and reissued by its member, Kelvin Fube Bwalya so that he could re-issue the same demand a day before the LAZ Annual General Meeting on 6th May, 2017 in Livingstone.

Ms. Sashi said the LAZ Council had decided to debate the motion of no confidence in its entire executive following demands by its members that included Mr Terrence Mwape Chabu, Kondwani Musukwa, Kelvin Fube Bwalya, Robson Katoka Malipenga and Tutwa Ngulube who is Kabwe Central Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament (MP).

Ms Sashi said the Extraordinary General Meeting would be held on Saturday, the 29th of April at Radisson Blu Hotel, in the Ball Room, Big Dome in Lusaka starting at 08:00 hours.

“Notice is hereby given that the Extraordinary General Meeting of the members of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) will be held on Saturday, 28th April at Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka to transact the motion of no confidence in the entire LAZ Council,” Ms Sashi said in her notice of the meeting.

In a letter addressed to Kelvin Fube Bwalya dated 11th April 2017, LAZ honourary secretary Sashi Kateka said the association had considered holding the Emergency General Meeting before the close of April to comply with the statutory period for holding the proposed impromptu meeting.

Ms Sashi, however, said the holding of the Emergency General Meeting before the end of this month had been constrained by the expense and the likelihood of poor attendance due to the fact that the AGM would be held on 6th May, 2017, a day after the impromptu meeting.

Ms Sashi said the LAZ council was willing to amend the proposed programme of the annual conference and the AGM activities which would result in the inclusion of the Emergency General Meeting.

She explained that the LAZ Council had considered the contents of Mr Fube’s letter demanding an Emergency General Meeting and the attachment proposing the holding of the impromptu meeting.

“We considered holding the EGM before the close of April, 2017 to comply with the statutory period for holding the EGM but have been constrained by the expense and the likelihood of poor attendance due to the fact that the AGM will be held only a few days later on 6th May, 2017.

“We are, therefore, proposing to you that we hold the EGM a day before the scheduled AGM in Livingstone on 5thMay, 2017. If you are agreeable, kindly withdraw the request for an EGM that you sent to us on 31st March, 2017 and re-issue it so that the statutory time for holding the EGM can commence with the re-issued request for an EGM which will allow us hold the EGM on 5th May 2017 in Livingstone,” the letter read in part.