Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:35:23 +0000
By Andrew Mukoma & Chite Mtonga
UNIP and MMD, have advised UPND members of Parliament to exhibit maturity and respect as Parliament resumes today by showing up for the presidential address.
UNIP Southern Province chairman Captain Robert Mukengami says they expect all the opposition MPs to show leadership and respect their electorates by attending all the sittings without any boycotts regardless of any situation.
And Serenje MMD Member of Parliament for Maxwell Kabanda says only those MPs who are not interested in development will dare shun the presidential address to the National Assembly or any other meeting in Parliament.
He said that MPs should rise above political differences and represent the people in Parliament. Mr Kabanda said that MPs were there to serve the people and it was their duty to be present when matters of national concern where being addressed.
“We all know that the President will be giving a speech when opening Parliament, the issues the President will be talking about are national issues and therefore we expect that all representatives of the people will be there so that they can go back and report to their people,” Mr Kabanda said.
He said that all opposition MPs who were still bitter should realise that their personal differences should not overshadow the main reason why they are in Parliament.
Mr Kabanda also said that the budget should be skewed towards investment in poverty reduction as policies that have recently been made were predominantly pro poor.
In an interview with the Daily Nation in Livingstone on Thursday, Capt Mukengami said that this time around if the MPs repeat what they did in the last sitting, it will be the electorates that will kick them out and not the Speaker.
“People of Zambia will judge those who went to Parliament without knowing why they are there. They must attend the official opening of Parliament putting into account that President Lungu will make policy announcements during the opening,” Capt Mukengami said.
