Patriotic Front Members of Parliament yesterday walked out of Parliament saying the second Deputy speaker must begin to treat all Members of Parliament equally.
Speaking during a media briefing after walk out, Chama South Member of Parliament Davison Mungandu said PF Lawmakers yesterday decided to walk out to send a message to the second Deputy Speaker that it is time he started respecting the standing orders and treating all Members of Parliament as equal.
He said MPs are in Parliament to represent the needs of the Zambian people but if they are being infringed upon then their needs will not be met.
He said during the Parliamentary procedures yesterday afternoon, the second deputy speaker would not allow him to bring to the attention a matter of national concern and kept interjecting him and telling him to get to the point when he needed to give an explanation to validate what he was to say.
“Most of the matters we bring to the house are issues that if the government does not take action, irreparable damage would be the result.” He said.
“Today I wanted to bring forth one such matter, as I was giving my preamble, I have to state that during this period you are not restricted in terms of being guided by being told ‘just go to the point’, you can’t go to the point when the issue involved is a matter that you need to explain,” he added.
The lawmaker explained that he wanted to bring to the attention of the government an issue of civil servants who he alleges have been dismissed on ethnic lines and that of mobile money booth operators who have been removed from trading areas without notice thereby disrupting their businesses and livelihoods.
“We are not against the government’s program of cleaning the city, but what they should have done is to warn them, give them a grace period and alternative places where they can conduct their business from,” he said.
And Malole Member of Parliament Robert Kalimi said it is sad that today the second Deputy Speaker chose to take an almost partisan stance. He said the MPs decided to exercise their privilege to walk out to avoid confrontation which would have led to them being suspended again.
“You remember that it was the same Deputy Speaker who made us to be suspended for 30 days because of unfair treatment of Members of Parliament, failure to articulate issues and to follow what is in the standing orders.”
“We are not in Parliament to be schooled or to be told what to say or how to say it, we know the procedures and guidelines and are controlled by the standing orders, it is very unfortunate, I was shattered, I was schooled and ignored as if I am not even a Member of Parliament,” He said.
In terms of debate in the August House, there’s an improvement unlike what we used to see in the last session. If it were not Jack Mwiimbu then it was Garry Nkombo. Most UPND MPs left the House without uttering a word except to shout yah yah yah or to walk out when led by either Garry or Jack. It’s the presiding officers that are failing us now. The Speaker herself has an attitude towards non UPND members. May be the PF and independents must resign en mass so that their vacancies are field by UPND members so that we see what they’ll achieve with that mediocrity. No matter what they do one day their time to leave will come and others won’t have anything to show for their disservice to the nation. It’s not always that you politic
What surprises all Zambians is, PF MPs do not give preamble to the economic damage they caused to the nation while in power. Instead, they quickly complain about the mess in the country as though caused by the current government. This is where they need to be transparent in parliament when debating. To walk out on account of failure to be specific of your debate, is failing Zambians and says a lot of the calibre of your MPship.
The headline is misleading. It should have read “PF MPs walk out.” I dont blame the speaker. Most of these MPs will spend 30 minutes trying to make a point and still fail. Matibini re-loaded
The headline is clearer than what you suggest. They did walk out of parliament, not a pub.
Uko taste of your own medicine. Mulimbe.
Upnd will be out in 2026. Mark my words.
And then after UPND massively wins, that same big mouth will say ‘UPND will be out in 2031, mark my words’. Funny chap.
Dude love don’t be a clown. I have more experience than you and have won elections before. I am the best strategist in zambia. You are just a upnd cadre. You don’t even live here in zambia..come back home since you have confidence in your g0d hh
Yeah they will be out but wont be replaced by PF
Kaiser, it will be out, for sure. But who will replace them?
Not replace. Pf will take back power
Sean Tembo will replace them
I can’t stand Politicians….whether UPND or PF or MMD…they’re all the same…all useless….and the problem is that they just concentrate on making themselves rich once they get into office….
That’s your right to walk out. Now you know how upnd felt and why they used to walk out.
UPND will be out 2026…..wow, is this coming from the mouth of him, who promised to run butt naked from manda hil to Archades shopping mall if UPND won the 2021 election. You will never bounce back because gassing happened under your watch.
This dull chap ati best strategist Mandi nima cadre chabe ma kawalala chabe. Kaizer, Lungu, Lusambo and many thieves will either be in jail by 2026 or dead because of their bad lifestyles.
Let them go.