Mutti angers Tonse By BARNABAS ZULU and KALUNGA MWAPE

RIVAL claims to the position of Leader of the Opposition in Parliament have sparked a dispute, with the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance challenging Speaker Nelly Mutti’s recognition of Mr Ezra Tembo, whose faction insists he was elected by 34 MPs. TonsePamodzi Alliance secretary general Muhabi Lungu, has alleged collusion between the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) and Mr Tembo over the parliamentary leadership position. He charged that the ruling party usurped opposition influence in Parliament in the same manner it had sequestrated propositional representation seats. These actions, he said, defeated the logic and spirit of opposition in Parliament which was supposed to provide checks and balances of the executive and Government by allocating to itself overbearing influence to neutralise any form of opposition. But National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) faction secretary general Nonde Mubanga defended Mr Tembo’s election, saying the Speaker had recognised a decision made by the party’s parliamentary members. Mr Mubanga said in an interview that Mr Tembo was elected on September 3, 2026, and that his appointment letter was submitted to the Speaker on September 14. “Honourable Ezra Tembo was properly elected as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament by 34 members of Parliament belonging to NRPUP,” Mr Mubanga said. He welcomed the Speaker’s confirmation, maintaining that the parliamentary members had followed the proper process. “We welcome the Speaker’s confirmation of Hon. Tembo’s election as Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. He was elected on September 3, 2026, and his appointment letter was submitted on September 14, 2026,” he said. Mr Kampyongo, however, disputed that account, insisting that he had been duly elected during an orientation workshop which Mr Tembo attended. He said the party secretariat subsequently communicated different information to the National Assembly, leading to the recognition of Mr Tembo instead. Mr Kampyongo urged the National Assembly to uphold constitutionalism and democracy, arguing that political parties and institutions of governance had a responsibility to respect democratic decisions. He said the opposition’s role was to hold the government accountable and provide effective checks and balances, and advised Mr Tembo not to abandon the will of the people amid the leadership dispute. Mr Tembo denied knowledge of any meeting at which Mr Kampyongo was elected Leader of the Opposition. He said the opposition would proceed on the basis of what had transpired in the National Assembly. Meanwhile, Mr Lungu accused Ms Mutti of disregarding what he described as Mr Kampyongo’s election, saying her decision raised concerns about respect for democratic processes in Parliament. His allegation of collusion between the UPND and Mr Tembo was not accompanied by supporting evidence in the information provided. A response from the Speaker and the UPND to that allegation was also not available. The competing accounts leave unresolved which parliamentary election should determine the opposition’s leadership, with Mr Kampyongo relying on the outcome of the orientation workshop and Mr Tembo’s faction citing the support of 34 MPs and its subsequent communication to the Speaker.

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Mutti angers Tonse By BARNABAS ZULU and KALUNGA MWAPE