traditional Ngoni head gear during the launch of the N’cwala
traditional ceremony festivities at Arcades shopping center in Lusaka
on Saturday
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini has formally received two complaints against the opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) who included those currently serving in the privileges parliamentary committee.
The Speaker disclosed in parliament today that the complaints would soon be processed accordingly.
Dr. Matibini said this when he made a ruling in the House today following a point of order raised by Patriotic Front (PF) Shiwangandu MP, Stephen Kampyongo on whether the opposition MPs who disrupted business of the House would not be allowed to seat because they breached standing orders 70 of the parliament procedures.
The Speaker said the opposition MPs had breached the parliamentary code of conduct with impunity therefore action would be taken accordingly.
“I have formally received two complaints against the opposition MPs for their unruly behavior exhibited in the last one and half days on grounds for your refusal to debate accordingly in the House surrounding the absence of the draft constitution. But I can assure this Honourable House that the complaints will be processed,” Dr. Matibini said.
Meanwhile, the Vice President’s question time was characterized by points of order aimed at pressurising the executive (government) to release the constitution.
The many points of order prompted Dr. Matibini to disallow them in order for the business of the House to continue.
“I will not allow any points of order until we complete the Vice President’s question time session,” Dr. Matibini said.
On February 26th 2014 and yesterday, Dr. Matibini was forced to suspend business of the House following a protest by the opposition MPs who demanded to know from the executive when exactly the draft constitution would be released to the Zambian people.
The Speaker noted that the opposition MPs were no longer interested to debate and accordingly suspended business of the House.
This boycott by the opposition parliamentarians in two days is the first of its kind in the history of Zambia. Other protests experienced were mere walk-outs but business of the House still continued.
The protest was caused by a ministerial statement presented to the House on Wednesday by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba.
And the Vice President Guy Scott has said 25,000 metric tonnes (mts) of relief food is required for hunger stricken areas.
Dr. Scott told parliament today that 209,498 vulnerable people were recommended to be provided with food supplies amounting to 12,570 metric tonnes in 18 selected districts in the country.
He said 8,262 metric tonnes has so far been released to the targeted districts.
ZANIS
Faka presssure so that Bakolwe can fall off the tree
Mr Engineer(Australia). I hope you are white. If you are not then you are also a monkey and don’t cry when white people call you monkey. A monkey wearing a suit is still a monkey. Therefore whether you are educated and live abroad or not you are a monkey if you are black.
I don’t support the opposition but on this one I salute them as the activities of PF on the constitution are directionless! Continue with those protests guyz may be the will of the Zambian pipo may prevail!
That is what opposition is all about among other things to be effective in principle to stand for truth and serve the Zambians what they deserve a new constitution. This national desire was not started by PF government but that through it a process of completing a full national constitution would be realized. PF party hijacked this process they found and even made phony promises of 90 days over it. Mr Sata was not forced to make this promise which he is now prevaricating on. This is disaster to PF government. The real game war hasn’t even started. Zambians are just clearing the ground. With just over 25 months to go two political missiles has hit PF government leaving it dazed crying foul.
The Katuba by election result loss and Chililabombwe local election loss result has hit the boat with potential to capsize any time. In the context of realities catching up with ‘Donchi Kubeba’ mantra irreparable damage has been created to PF and will stick till 2016 general elections. This has been dashed with a cream of opposision parliamentarian protests against debates on new constitution within the house.
This is a serious indictment on the legacy of PF as a ruling party. The beginning of the fall is written on the wall for Zambians to read. Put more pressure Zambians!.
BUT IN ALL FAIRNESS ZAMBIA NEEDS A NEW CONSTITUTION. WE DONT NEED TO BE PARTISAN HERE. EVEN THE DREADED 50%+1 IS ACTUALLLY GOOD FOR THE POOR ZAMBIAN IN CHINYAMA LITAPI AND SHANGOMBO. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE SHALL ENSURE THAT SUCH PEOPLE ARE REACHED WITH DEVELOPMENT. BCAUSE THE POLITICIAN WILL BE FORCED TO TREAK TO SUCH PLACES WITH DEVELOPMENT IN SEARCH OF EVERY VOTE.
Surely we need a new constitution this has been exemplified by the happenings in the current PF Govt. We do not need one single handed man to come and sink the entire nation through pseudo dictatorial tendencies and shear lack of progressive economic ideology.
The MPs are doing what we sent them to Parliament to do – protecting our interests. Yes, discipline them, better still dissolve Parliament and call for fresh elections.
The opposition, including the ones masquerading as NGOs or churches are trying to rush the process of constitution making, but if the government tried to rush the process, the same hypocrites would cry the loudest that there was no consultation like it was on many issues like the creation of districts, removal of subsidies and so on. Maybe Africans need a bit of dictatorship or else we shall be stack in terms real development.
Just read your contribution again and then tell us if the same is not contrary to the law? Dictatorship in a 21st Century? Only for Africans? Jerk!!!
Your brain needs rewiring! What kind of IDI0T are you? Dictatorship?
Read your history. Dictatorship only leads to corruption, chaos and poverty. For development to happen the essentials are transparency and accountability in government. This can only be through freedom of speech and justice.
The very things Sata and his PF fear, and are bent on destroying.
142 and ben. No need to use abusive language. Just convince me with your ideas. I may change my thinking, who knows. May be my brain needs rewiring so that it conforms with my black skin. I am saying so because I always wonder why only countries where there is a heavy presence of whites in Africa have some development or some semblance of it ,like south Africa, and Namibia. I am tempted to blame it colonialism, but hey we have been independent for decades now and we have professors, doctors Engineers, lawyers, name them…! Now tell me who needs rewiring.
@spartan….being PF all the doesn’t mean you should be blind all the time.opposition mean fighting for the right cause.wen the constitution was being drafted,you never heard anyone complaining or demanding for it.now that time is ripe,why should they keep quiteMore especially wen your president makes lame excuses cause he is so much scared of 50+1.thats the only element which scares some tits out of him.
DON COLEONE. You accuse me of being PF, but my agenda beyond political parties. I will leave that to lesser mortals. All I want is Zambia to be developed by the available human capital. This is possible if we all stop being mediocre and we start applying what we have memorised (or learnt) from the white man’s books.
‘my agenda is beyond political parties’
I also hate people pretending to speak for the people while using wrong platforms like the church mother bodies, NGO’s and so on. No one voted reverend chakuti chakuti and father chakuti chakuti. They hold those positions because they rose through the ranks within those organisations. The government and the opposition like UPND and MMD were voted into office and hence they legitimately represent the people. Father bwalya was brave to leave the church and join politics.
@ spartan
Can you explain your “hatred” with democratic principles of a “Christian Nation”?
more pressure … Bravo Opposition MPs !!!