Thursday, March 28, 2024

UPND’s impeachment motion is abuse of procedures of National Assembly-Siliya

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Chief Government Spokesperson, Hon. Dora Siliya, MP
Chief Government Spokesperson, Hon. Dora Siliya, MP

Government has said that the impeachment motion submitted by the United Party for National Development (UPND) to Parliament is misconceived and an abuse of the procedures of the National Assembly.

Chief Government Spokesperson, Dora Siliya said that the allegations contained in the notice of motion do not amount to any impeachable offense recognized in any system of Government.

Ms. Siliya has explained that the allegations contained in the motion neither fall within the scope of impeachable offenses, nor meet the test of substantiality.

Speaking to journalists in Lusaka, Ms. Siliya noted that the allegations set out value judgement and opinions which they are entitled to, adding that a difference in opinion and the opposition’s discontent with the Government cannot form the basis of impeachment.

Ms. Siliya also said that the abdication by the opposition to represent their electorate and instead advance the wishes of one person represents breach of trust that the electorate reposed in them.

And Patriotic Front Chairman for Legal Affairs, Brian Mundubile said that the impeachment motion contains generalities and other matters that are already before the Courts.

And yesterday, Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) president Sean Tembo charged that the impeachment motion against President Edgar Lungu lacks objectivity and is merely the UPND’s continued persecution of the Head of State and promotion of tribalism, .

“We do not support the UPND motion of impeachment against President Lungu because it lacks objectivity, is onerous and promotes tribalism and undermines national security,” Mr Tembo said yesterday in Lusaka.

Mr Tembo said the impeachment also amounts to persecution of the Head of State and is a fishing expedition among other issues, therefore the party will not be associated with it in any form.

Mr Tembo said UPND should note that there is a thin line between holding the Head of State accountable and persecuting him.

Mr Tembo said the only offence which President Lungu had so far committed and would be to constitute a sound ground for impeachment is violation of article 122 of the Republican Constitution as regards the independence of the Judiciary.

He cited threats issued against the judges of the Constitutional Court warning them not to decide against him over his eligibility to stand for a third term is being challenged before the said court.

He said the UPND impeachment motion only contained the relevant violation of article 122 of the Constitution as its ground.

“As Patriots for Economic Progress, we are in the business of holding the Head of State accountable and it has subsequently become apparent to us that our colleagues in the UPND are in the business of persecuting the Head of State.

“It is for this reason that we saw it necessary to categorically distance ourselves, as PeP, from the UPND motion for the proposed impeachment of President Lungu going to allow ourselves to be part and parcel of the UPND’s inherent desire to settle old political scores under the guise of providing checks and balances,” said Mr Tembo.

64 COMMENTS

  1. Impeachment is like a loud bark without a vicious bite. Chances of Trump getting toppled over the Stormy Daniels affair are higher than ECL getting impeached on corruption charges.

    The presidential office is measured on the fulfillment of state duties in favour of the entire nation, not according to the aspirations of a specific group of individuals.

    • Well said Dora! Please go on………………..also the process to limit the number of times a candidate can stand in presidential elections is an intellectually bankrupt idea! And a clear affront to democracy!

    • WEll said? Nonsense. Leave the judging of the impeachment to the Speaker and MPs. Why should government condemn a legal procedure?
      Government’s statement is misconceived and is an abuse of the constitution

    • Nine Chale – This is why I say to you that you are like a woman whose husband always batters you bloody every time he comes home drunk and when your neighbor decides to call the Police you are the selfsame person who stops them and says he batters me because he loves me very much.
      Dont try to justify corruption by typing that rubbish whilst attempting to sit on the fence.

    • UPNDEAD IMPEACHMENT EXERCISE IS LIKE A BABY TRYING TO USE ITS FEET FIRST TIME IN TRYING TO LEARN OR SEE IF IT CAN WALK. TESTING THE WATERS.
      ===========================
      Alas the first walking lessons for the baby means a lot to it. Step after stem. The UPNDEADS are like headless chicken. By the way next to my Tonga girlfriend, I love chicken.
      The Upndeads are not doing it for any reason. They are just playing with it. It’s chipante pante as they run out opposition relevance and ideas.
      A clear sign that they don’t know whether they are going or coming. Double h is playing his MPs as toys for a 2 year old bed ridden toddler as he pulls the strings and shout WALK OUT and they all walk out. STAY IN, they all stay in. IMPEACH, they all follow the blind leader blindly. He has cursed them…

    • Anything unsettling to PF is “abuse of procedures” as it is in PF belief that only them can willy nilly abuse the law of the land and insert pivots towards where it suits them! If the Constitution provides for impeachment motion why not let it go ahead as it would provide learning insights for the general public to understand some of the jargon! The exercise would breathe something fresh into the national circus by the leadership.

    • Dora to start with you abused the poor women you were giving offals and Lungu abuses the Judiciary and his stolen Presidency. Zodwa, sorry Dora shut it!

    • PF are slow thinkers. This is to their advantage. If Lungu angwa in impeachment, then it will be Inonge to be president.
      She can then appointment Lungu as vice or prime minister.
      Inonge can win in 2021. By 92%
      Edgar can loose in 2021. By 29%

    • I have just thought I should explain why I mistakenly refer to Honourable as Zodwa (by the slip of the tongue). There is a parallel that I cannot get out of my mind. Zodwa, as I understand it takes off her panties and firstly, Honourable ‘took off’ her MMD principles for a Ministerial position in PF (which she was castigating before), secondly honourable’s utterances in 2011 election campaigns in Chipata seem to relate her to the same. However I think Honourable is an intelligent person and a Zambian treasure!

    • Wait until it becomes a campaigning too to tie everyone who won’t impeach the koswes mumpoto, then will you see the motion’s importance.

    • In Zambia’s constitution:
      108. (1) A Member of Parliament, supported by at least one third
      of the Members of Parliament, may move a motion for the
      impeachment of the President alleging that the President has
      committed—
      (a) a violation of a provision of this Constitution or other law;
      (b) a crime under international law; or
      (c) gross misconduct.
      lungu is guilty of both and therefore must impeached tomorrow. That’s why there is panic among the rats, knowing the corruption dispenser will be booted out of office, to begin awaiting a prison term.

    • I hope people who think impeachment should be tossed around like a football by drunken !d!ots on some dusty field in Kanyam twonship realize the reasons it is there to begin with. Impeaching a sitting President just because you feel like it, and it is provided for in the Constitution, is really the WORST CYNICISM an MP or Political Party can engage in.

      Think of the the kind of PRECEDENCE this sets. No President is liked by everybody. I can assure you, even the one who comes after Lungu will have his/her own detractors. And certain characters will be just as willing to throw an IMPEACHMENT BOOK at him/her based on FRIVOLOUS grounds….so be careful the example/precedence you are setting for yourselves. You can bet all HH’s Cows on this, these reasons given in this particular case will…

    • Continue….

      be cited, henceforth, as LEGITIMATE GROUNDS to impeachment a President on. I can only hope who ever becomes President after ECL and beyond will NEVER HAVE RUMORS OF CORRUPTION swirling around them. Because they will be fair “GAME” to get impeached.

      Now, if only we can remember or realize why impeachment is provided for in our Conversation as a measure of LAST RESORT, the better off will all be, especially these MPs who seem all too willing to waste there Constituencies’ time. Look, impeachment is in the Constitution as a “weapon” (a big one at that) of last resort in order to check the President since HE CAN NOT BE SUED WHILE IN OFFICE in he commits a crime or malfeasants. So in short, IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS is a MINI-TRIAL. And like every trial, EVIDENCE has to…

    • Continue…

      be presented and considered by Parliamentarians. RUMORS, INUANDOS and OPINIONS are not evidence. For any f0000l who doesn’t like a sitting President can make up a rumor and their opinion that the President is corrupt and so on. But is that really evidence to necessitate the IMPEACHMENT of a sitting President? Just think about the unnecessary acrimony that this kind of careless use of Constitutional Provisions is creating in the Country.

      PLEASE RESERVE IMPEACHMENT PRIVISION FOR REAL ISSUES IT WAS MEANT FOR AND NOT CHEAPEN OUR CONSTITUTION BY ENGAGING IN S!LLY POLITICAL GYMNASTICS WHEN YOU CAN BE WORKING ON PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT…free advice, take or leave it.Rt

  2. In other words what she is saying is that alleged corruption or pilfering from taxpayers is not impeachable ….wasted years indeed..these two parties PF and UPND compliment each other; one can not spin to their advantage and the other is happy to try their luck without any strategy.

    • INSULT, the all insult. SH|T and they all do just that. Hopeless checks and balances misoverseers. Wasted goons and stooges.

    • Have you seen the allegations contained in the notice of motion…how can you say they do not amount to any impeachable offense? I don’t support this motion as its sideshow …the only problem here is that PF can not spin anything to their advantage and using Dora to answer corruption allegation is like pouring fuel on fire. Where is the leader of house for PF? The Old Hen Inonge..

    • Depending on which camp you’re currently in, ruling party or the opposition, the impeachment motion is being seen accordingly differently and so it would be if camp occupancy changed!

  3. Why is government involving itself in political party matters? The PF should issue statements that attack UPND not government. Learn to separate issues you unschooled politicians

  4. We know that Hichilema is very bitter, so allow his motion to be debated so that he has no excuse for further lamentations. He’s a very evil man, very egoistic. Now his schemes are being laid bare. The only reason Hichilema petitioned the election results was because he wanted chaos. His supporters had started killing people, even his fellow Tongas in the Defense and Security Forces were very partisan. Then Hichilema petitioned as a scheme to further weaken governance. He wanted a person who could not appoint or fire anybody to assume the Presidency

    • Ba Ayatollah the monk naimwe, what are you talking about? Just be straight to the point, tribalism is worse than corruption!

    • The thief comes for nothing but to steal, destroy and kill. Devilish acts. Disappointed default voters. Only a Tonga to succeed Mazoka says Sejani is in itself both a tribal and corrupt statement. Double h rose to the UPNDEAD helm on that statement. That statement will haunt him till the end of time.
      Pure hopelessness.

  5. But what he forgot was that there was no speaker at that because Matibini was dissolved together with his parliament. Other chiefs started calling Edgar to ask whether they could also instruct their subjects to beat and kill Tongas in their chiefdoms. Hichilema and Chemical Mukuni have never regretted what their supporters did. Very shameful

    • SUCK, and have guess? THEY SUCK!!!
      LICK, and have guess? THEY LICK!!!

      Somehow, no body told them to still, and yet, only “achievement” which is in the open, it is fattening of personal wealth by the PF “elite” at the expenses of poor masses

  6. Vikopo va ma MPs.yo small god will be retired following Ng’ambi’s motion.Next to see will be nude protestors on Lusaka Livingstone road in monze

  7. Please let the process go through it will be a learning experience for the whole country, on the other hand this will teach the Golden brown teeth a lesson that no one is above the law.
    He has messed up the country I truly feel sorry for my parents and the senior citizens, everything was going fine until the PF government drained all the National funds now they don’t have any where to get the money from but tax the living hell of the innocent people on everything they do…what’s next now??? Tax churches???? Ba koswe.

  8. The MPs and other citizens pushing for the impeachment of Edgar Lungu should be supported. Edgar Lungu is a thief and a joke. Lungu has brought nothing but theft, corruption, hatred, tribalism, nepotism, international disdain, embarrassment, bupuba  and all manner of evil in this once admirable country. He does not deserve another day to be in charge of our affairs.  Zambia is at its lowest economically, in terms of governance, socially and in international standing. Corruption is at all times high. And Lungu is on record praising and encouraging corrupt tendencies. This has to stop.
     It is shocking that the only reason the PF say the impeachment will not succeed is because there are more PF MPs than members of the opposition. Reasons for the impeachment do not matter. But that is…

  9. If I wanted to know that offences fall withinrhe scope of impeachable offenses, or this that meet the so callwd test of substantiality, Siliya will be the last person I would want to talk. I mean, it’s a nullity!

  10. UPND must know they represent the biggest portion of the Zambian population and as such must not take the impeachment as people begging to be heard but demand that the constitution must be respected without apologies.

    PF are dead scared of the impeachment motion because they understand how they grossly misconducted themselves.

    I wish to urge voters to take stoke of which MP represents the current status quo, which MP is with the suffering masses whose constitution is being abused at will.

    Citizenry let’s take stock and remember them when time comes.

  11. Tongas are for sure funny and strange people.How can the whole lot of this tribe be windhooked by one incompetent chap in the name of HH? Just how? It beats me. Look the whole basis of having representatives in Parliament is to ensure the qualitu of life the represented is uplifted but what have we been witnessing since HH took over the reigns of UPND, just misery and discontent of his supporters. Whilst other Mps are working so hard to bring development in their areas, it’s a sad story for the UPND all in the name one selfish chap.

    • They vote by default. They are prewired to follow the double h syndrome. Preset thinking from childhood. You don’t stand a chance with these UPNDEADs.
      Imagine in one constituency, double h 39,000 Edith Nawakwi 0. Is this normal iwe? It is purely anti-normal aka abnormal. Double h 69,429 : ECL 11, others tuma zero zero; total registered voters 69,440. You don’t stand a chance.

    • …..the whole lot of this tribe ….Are you sure every Tonga supports UPND? The mere fact that you think like that means that even the Malinso is wiser than you.

  12. In August 2016, Dilma Rousseff, the first female president of Brazil, left office after she was defeated in the impeachment petition. The impeachment was initiated by the opposition who galvanized support from those who felt betrayed by her U-turn on economy. She was accused of among other things, manipulating the government budget (She transferred money from one account to another without cabinet approval), accused her of failing to act on scandals at Brazilian National petroleum company and for failing to distance herself from the suspects in the investigations at the same company. We have more serious scandals in Zambia than the Brazilian case, I do not have to itemize them.

  13. We cant wait for tomorrow when UPND will be embarrassed severely in parliament by Pro PF MPs.
    Today Garry Nkombo told the world via Fred M’membe’s 4 pages MAST PAPER that tomorrow Zambia shall have a new president in Inonge Wina!!SO WE SHALL SEE HOW HH’S ROBOTS(BANTUSTAN MPS) WILL IMPEACH ECL TOMORROW!!
    HH is the waste local politician to have practiced politics in Zambia!!
    PLEASE PF MPS ALSO TAKE A MOTION TO LIMIT A NUMBER ONE CAN APPEAR ON A BALLOT PAPER SO THAT KAINDE,MIYANDA,NAWAKWI,ETC CAN BE RETIRED IN NATIONAL INTERESTS BEFORE 2021!!

  14. UPND is led by illiterates on political matters and have a tribal agenda leading them. I will never vote for a party whose members are not patriotic to their country. I don’t even know what attracts them to HH because the guy is an Under Five and cannot compare to any of Zambia’s past and present presidents.

  15. This matter will not end well for UPND; firstly there will be no secret ballot in Parliament. PF should not allow tribalists to take over the country via a back door. HH is a very tribalistic individual trying to use a secret ballot in Parliament usurp functions of the President. May HH’s wisdom turn into foolishness so that he is rendered useless.

  16. Dora is not denying the fact that there’s corruption in the PF government and spends time trying to belittle the charges as not impeachable cases. Yes they are all impeachable. Any criminal activity in that office is impeachable offense. The abdication of duty by Lungu and PF criminals are all cases that can lead to years of imprisonment. The all notion of putting this on record is one of the best strategies to come and lock up Lungu after his term. If Matibini is a real man and a lawyer, he will let parliament debate and ask the opposition bring evidence. We will see where trouble lies with Lungu. Where’s Dora’s counterpart in Malawi over the maizegate? Keep watching and support criminals while your children balenya amenshi because Lungu and Dora are saving your money for their children…

  17. Malinso, do you realize how HH does not fight with people in his party? Have you also asked yourself how the heck you were hoodwinked by the most incompetent person to walk the Zambian soil who literally told you he had no vision for the country and you fell for his incompetence? If Lungu is a leader, why do you think he goes on and on without addressing the nation on his plans and vision. Oh, sorry he said he has no vision. How by the way did you fall for this failure on everything he touched? What did Zambians see in him? Kachasu? Or may be they were on kachasu?

  18. The biggest winner in this, i.e. if at all HIS EXCELLENCE EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU is impeached, is PF. As things stand today, I doubt whether they’ll change in 2021, the incumbent stands no chance of winning. Therefore, the ball is in the hands of PF MPs to save their party i.e. if they’re interested in scooping 2021 elections. It’s an opportunity to cleanse their party, allow a neutral figure in Bo Inonge (who cant stand in 2021 because of her age) to preside as President thus making it easy to elect a credible candidate for 2021 elections.

    As for UPND, to me they’re de-campaigning themselves ahead of 2021, because if PF MPs do the right thing, they stand to loose out as removing ECL will make PF stronger and difficult to beat come 2021 elections. Trust they’re doing it for the…

  19. CONTD…… Trust they’re doing it for the masses and/or maybe its the Almighty God using them…

    PLEASE WAKE UP PF MPs and SEIZE THE BEGGING OPPORTUNITY!!!

  20. Impeachment is a matter for parliament making prononcements in thé press can lead to discipliné by thé speaker second many MPs are fed up with the state of our nation once the motion goes to a vote !!!!

  21. When everyone realises that the aim of everything political is not removing ECL from plot 1 but developing the country, then we shall start moving forward. upnd’s preoccupation under hh is removing ECL from plot 1. But what how are upnd mps doing in their areas??? BADLY!!! Kafue last week was crying over their absentee mp, Sinazongwe booed theirs and castigated him for not contributing anything in parliament. Dora is right. upnd mps, like Thorn above, follow anything hh tells them without scrutiny. When progressive bills meant to uplift poverty are tabled, like the NHI, they walk out because they can’t contribute simply because they don’t spend time analysing such fundamental matters as mps!! Just like the way the destroyed the Bill of Rights. upnd is a curse on Zambia.

  22. WHAT IS THIS PF AND ITS LEADERSHIP REFERENT FROM THE SANHEDRIN DURING JESUS’ CRUCIFIXION TIME. ROMANS MISTREAT JESUS- PASSION WEEK- HH WAS MISTREATED DURING THIS WEEK 2017, CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI ALSO PASSION WEEK – , JESUS WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH -GOOD FRIDAY- HH WAS SENTENCED – GOOD FRIDAY, TODAY CHISHIMBA WANT TO BE SENTENCED THIS FRIDAY.

    IS PF AND ITS LEADERSHIP CHRISTIAN OR ANT-CHRIST?

  23. Dora thrives on tribal politics. RB the big witch who took care of both LPM and MCS for his scheme also survives on tribal and politics. Lungu who is clueless is being danced like a puppet on strings by RB. He has no option but to heed RB’s gameplay since he does not even know what the heck he is doing. Dora is not your daughter’s role model unless your daughter is defective as Dora is. Ask RB. The people in PF are like sheep. Who in their right mind appoints Lusambo as a Minister? Where do you think Zambia is headed? Even trash bins will start refusing such trash, but you pin heads accept Lusambo and splashes huge billboards to welcome trash. Lungu is a sack, hence appointing other sacks.

  24. Actually, PF should not just bark about the UPND’ s decision but that they are utilizing the laid down procedules contained in the constitution.Dora Siliya and her failed Govt are ignorant and who does not know anything except each time trying to protect ECL because of the jobs offered fraudulent and corruptly associated with abuse of public funds. But one day they should renemember that they will be held accountable by the Zambian people

  25. It’s difficult to see if the opposition mean well or not, from 2016 elections Govt and opposition have been fighting and people are divided, so how do you know who is telling the truth. I believe the power is with the people of Zambia. Its the people to decide , one has to convince the people that he/she is a good leader.

  26. PEOPLE NOW MUST STOP AND THINK WELL THAT LUNGU IS NOT A CHRISTIAN BUT ANT-CHRIST. WHY IS IT THAT LAST YEAR HE INCARCERATED HH DURING EASTER TIME, A TIME FOR RECONCILIATION AND REPENTANCE AS PEOPLE LOOK TO THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST BUT LUNGU IS THE TIME TO PERSECUTE HIS OPPONENTS TODAY IS KAMBWILI,AND NEVERS MUMBA – LIKE ROMAN SOLDIERS THE WHOLE SANHEDRIN DURING THAT TIME.

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