By Daily Revelation Reporter
Whip for the independent members of parliament Emmanuel Banda has described as lies assertions that opposition and independent members of parliament have asked for salary and allowance hikes.
Banda, popularly known as Jay Jay, the member of parliament for Petauke-Central, told Daily Revelation that those raising such assertions wanted to brand independent MPs in negative light, saying no one was asking for what was being reported about.
“I am the chief Whip (for independent MPs), so I am part of the leadership. We have not asked for anything of that sort. I am challenging whoever to bring that something which is in written so that people can believe this which is being talked about. So on that one it’s not like that. There is nothing like that,” said Banda.
But an opposition member of parliament who spoke on condition of anonymity rendered credence to the reports, however, with a caveat that even those from the ruling party wanted increments.
“Even them they want. They have come out like that simply to brand us in bad light before the people so that they appear to be holy,” said the member of parliament.
According to recent media reports, the opposition and independent MPs want a 20 percent salary increment, and sitting allowances to be increased from K1500 to K3000 among other things.
