Thu, 15 Dec 2016 09:45:10 +0000
THE near punch-up at Parliament last week was caused by the UPND Members of Parliament (MPs) who rejected a motion by the PF to begin sitting at 09:00 hours unless their K1 500 allowance was doubled to K3 000, President Edgar Lungu has revealed.
And PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri has branded the UPND Parliamentarians greedy individuals who were in Parliament for money and not to serve Zambians.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has reiterated his warning that he would not hesitate to fire civil servants with the propensity of frustrating government programmes in a scheme to make Zambians rise against Government.
President Lungu said when PF Chief Whip Richard Musukwa moved a motion to allow MPs to sit from 09:00hours, all UPND Parliamentarians rejected the motion but instead demanded that their allowance of K1, 500 be doubled.
The President said it was clear that the UPND Parliamentarians were in the House not to serve the people of Zambia but for personal gain.
Speaking when he addressed a rally at Luangwa market yesterday, President Lungu said the UPND teamed up with some independent candidates but were still defeated when the motion was subjected to a vote.
“When the UPND teamed up with some Independent MPs, they were demanding to be paid an additional K1, 500 for sitting in the afternoon plus the morning K1, 500 making it K3, 000 per day. It is clear that the UPND MPs are in Parliament to serve their own interest…they are there for their bellies,” President Lungu said.
The Head of State said Government would never entertain the UPND’s demands to have their sitting allowances increased to K3, 000 per day for merely doing the job for which they were elected.
The Head of State has also indicated that Government was ready to sit and dialogue with the councillors over their cry to be put on a salary as opposed to the K700 monthly allowance.
He also told the marketers in Luangwa district that he would consider them again for the presidential marketeers fund.
President Lungu also thanked the people of Luangwa district for voting for the PF during the August 11, 2016 general elections.
And PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri told Luangwa residents that UPND MPs did not care about the welfare of Zambians as their interest was to fatten their pockets through demands such as overtime for sitting in Parliament.
Ms Phiri said it was shameful for the leader of the opposition Jack Mwiimbu and UPND Chief Whip Garry Nkombo to have influenced their members to demand additional allowances when Mr Mwiimbu’s salary was allegedly equivalent to that of cabinet ministers.
She said Mr Mwiimbu was enjoying the luxury of a government vehicle by virtue of him being leader of the opposition in the House. Ms Phiri said the UPND MPs had clearly shown that their party had no heart for the poor Zambians.
“They said they will not work with the ruling party in Parliament. If they have allowances and entitled to government vehicles do you think they are genuine with what they are doing?” Ms Mumbi asked.
