By Chinoyi Chipulu
UPND Alliance secretary Kaluba Simuyemba has charged that the decision by the ruling party members of parliament to walk out of Parliament on Wednesday is a confirmation that UPND is a ‘chimbwi’ no plan party.
But chief government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has wondered why walking out of parliament by UPND members of parliament was a big issue when the previous regime also used to do the same.
In a statement, Simuyemba who is also leader of Movement for Change and Equality, stated that what happened was a confirmation that the UPND had no business in their due mandate to govern, but merely to outdo the PF and MMD on account of looting and stealing from the people.
“It’s hard to believe that this, walkout of parliament by Cabinet Ministers and UPND MPs, is a reality!!! It’s like a movie in bollywood or Nollywood. What’s notoriously clear here is the confirmation that UPND is a Chibwi no plan, they can’t deliver on their own promises,” he stated.
“…..they can’t deliver on their own promises, shame isn’t their potion on the very lies which propelled them to power…”
Simuyemba stated that paradoxically, corruption, tribalism, nepotism, cronyism, and bribery had been their landmarks for their existentialism.
“These simple questions are being avoided now to avoid further confirmation that their SOLE PURPOSE of conning power was to serve FOREIGN INTERESTS and FOREIGN CAPITAL: Zambians the writing is on the walls,” he stated.
But Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Mweetwa said the MP’s walked out of parliament due to negligence by Lunte member of parliament Mutotwe Kafwaya’s negligence who failed to gather support from his party members.
He said PF MP’s had walked out of parliament many times than UPND when they were in opposition.
“In the last three years, PF MP’s have walked away from parliament many times than UPND, so should it become a big issue today when members decide to walk out on a motion the executive where not obliged to respond or take any action?” he said.
He said people should have balanced weight of scrutiny and criticism.
Mweetwa said Kafwaya had been a bitter person since the PF lost power .
“Even his debate in Parliament, several times, colleagues have to ask him to tone down because he always wears a face which is so angry, as if we are at a battlefront,” he said.
Mweetwa added that Kafwaya had been abrasive and sarcastic to the President and to the government hence, he raised things to ridicule government in Parliament.
He said the issue raised on Wednesday was simply meant to politic hence MP’s gave him a taste of his medicine that it was important to coexist with friends.
“The nation is well aware that yesterday during parliament, after ordinary and traditional business of the house, was transacted, Kafwaya introduced on the floor of the house a motion or statement to which he wanted him and other members to deliberate upon,” he said.
Mweetwa said the motion Kafwaya introduced was a statement where he only wanted to speak out or to vent .
“He wanted to breath and air out his views. That was the idea and this is a new entry to our regulations and new standing orders. We introduced this particular window very recently. On this one, a member of parliament will bring a matter where they just want to speak, not urging the executive to do any particular thing. They are just asking that parliament allow me to talk on this particular issue, and there is no requirement for the executive to respond a motion like the one he introduced,” he said.
He said the executive did not run away from it’s mandate to respond to a motion.
“That was just like a club debate to allow an MP to ventilate upon, there was not going to be any minister to respond or government or the executive. So it is anomalous to say the executive ran away. The second point I want to clarify is that the executive did not walk out, the people who walked out are MP’s,” he said.
He said both MPs from the UPND and PF walked out of Parliament House.
“A good number of MPs from the PF walked out and I have asked them why, they said he never consulted them. At Parliament, if you are taking a motion, you need to consult your friends,” he said.
Mweetwa said the collapse of the quorum was because of negligence by Kafwaya who failed to have support even from his fellow party members.
“The other point I must clarify is that a walk out is perfectly in order, we in the opposition used to walk to exercise our democratic right. It is allowed in Parliament. On Tuesday, our colleagues from the opposition walked out because a PF MP raised a point of order on Nkana MP Binwell Mpundu and in reaction of disapproval Mpundu behaved in a manner that the speaker deemed unacceptable and sent him out. The entire PF Members walked out in solidarity,” said Mweetwa.
Mweetwa said no one blamed the PF when they walked out of Parliament on Tuesday.
