The Foundation for Democratic Process FODEP has challenged government to state its position on the demand by parliamentarians for a pay-rise.
FODEP Executive Director Macdonald Chipenzi says it is surprising and unfortunate that government and the Patriotic Front (PF) party leadership have remained visibly invisible and mute on the demands by some parliamentarians to have their perks adjusted upwards despite the sprawling poverty and a 2-year unilaterally government imposed employment and wage freeze on civil servants on account of limited public funds.
Mr Chipenzi says FODEP expected parliamentarians to demand for the lifting of the employment and wage freeze on civil servants before advancing such demands.
“However, FODEP wishes to applaud the leadership of the opposition political parties among them the MMD, NAREP, UPND and Matero PF Member of Parliament Miles Sampa for categorically disagreeing with the parliamentarians on the demand for a pay-rise,” Mr Chipenzi states.
“The opposition political party leadership and Hon. Miles Sampa’s move to disagree with their parliamentarians has shown great leadership on this matter and Zambians expected the PF, as a political party and government, to follow-suit. More so, because the PF file and rank have been crusaders of applying the limited public resources equitably in order to improve social services to all people hence their silence on the demand becomes very suspicious of their commitment to this crusade,” He said.
“FODEP, therefore, would like to challenge the PF government to come out from the hiding den because its silence on this matter has the potential to raise serious public speculations and the government and the party risk being accused of propping the parliamentarians’ demands. Further, this conspicuous silence from government and PF as a political party is counterproductive on the debate especially that they hold the answer to the demands since they know how fat the government treasury is,” Mr Chipenzi has said in a statement.
He says the government has been quick at repelling citizens’ demands for a new people driven constitution on account that it has no money for the exercise but that the limited funds available were for poverty reduction and other social service delivery programmes.
“Does this silence denote agreement to the parliamentarians’ demands? Does the failure by government to clearly state its position a signature of its desire not to jeopardize the pending benefits to its members out of this pay-rise since Cabinet and deputy Ministers are likely to be beneficiaries?
Mr Chipenzi has challenged government spokespersons Dr. Katema and PF party leadership to tell the nation their positions respectively on the demands by parliamentarians for a pay-rise.
He has also appealed to the public not to demonize Mafinga Member of Parliament for raising the matter in parliament because without her, the nation would not have known that was the intentions of parliamentarians.
This is contained in a press statement released to the media by FODEP Executive Director McDonald Chipenzi.
how i hate cowards in my life.dis empty tin has been campagning for his parliamentery seat in siavonga under the upnd in 2016,hiding under FODEP suprisingly even when its a well known fact to everyone,he cant just for once be a man enough and out publicly n resign on moral ground.Sir with o du respect you deserve we ar tired with your hot stinking air coming out of you everyday when u speak.come out in the open and join politics so that we know how to adress u Mr Chipenzi, the probldm u av is that u want to hear what you mind is teling u and nothing contrary to that as if u ar runing your Katembe at home.
The PF movie is in Picture no sound.
This Sakeni look alike and Grillo have political ambitions but cannot leave their NGOs due to money. PF does not need to respond to this as the opposition has shot themselves in the foot and this will come to haunt them during campaigns
Just respond to FODEP has raised on behalf of the majority Zambians personal issues are uninteresting to Zambians who want to hear effective governance from a govt that is governing not by remote control as Zambians have experienced with PF govt.