MPs’ suspension disaster, says AVAP

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 10:45:10 +0000

By Jossy Chaima

ANTI-voter Apathy (AVAP) regional coordinator Poster Jumbe says the suspension of UPND Members of Parliament from Parliament is disastrous to the economy of the country.

Mr Jumbe said UPND, being the major opposition political party, their absence from Parliament means less debates which can lead to the formation of weaker laws.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Jumbe said the ruling party can take advantage of the suspension of the UPND MPs and come up with laws that were only favourable to them which could affect the development of the country.

He said the suspension means members of the constituencies where the UPND MPs were coming from have no representation in Parliament.

“If the PF have a law of interest and they take it to Parliament it is very easy for that law to pass which might not be there for the interest of Zambia but just their political interest,” he said.

He said the suspension was a danger to democracy because there was no exchange of ideas and debates.

Mr Jumbe however said the suspension of the UPND MPs was a wake-up call to all MPs because most times parliamentarians put their allegiance to their political parties ahead of the people who put them in power.

He said sometimes the parliamentarians go against their code of conduct which leaves the Speaker with no choice but suspend them.

“Our appeal as AVAP is that regardless of the political party they are coming from the MPs must understand that these political parties are not personal entities but for Zambians and they need to need to give allegiance to the voters,” he said.