National Assembly Deputy First Speaker Catherine Namugala yesterday ruled that there is no timeframe provided for in terms of a private member motion in the new republican constitution.
This followed an impeachment motion initially raised by opposition UPND MP Garry Nkombo ‘s private impeachment motion which is before the National Assembly Speaker, Dr. Patrick Matibini.
The motion was scheduled to be tabled in parliament sitting yesterday afternoon by opposition UPND against duly elected republican President Lungu.
Ms. Namugala said that that the motion did not compel the Speaker to table it within three days noting that nothing illegal had happened.
“An impeachment motion shall be supported by one-third of the members of the house alleging that the Head of State has conducted him/herself in a gross misconduct.
“The motion by Hon. Nkombo has complied with Standing Orders, however, no timeframe is provided for by the private member to which impeachment motion must be tabled on floor of this House,” Ms. Namugala ruled.
Police officers kept their vigil for any possible pandemonium by opposition UPND MPs, most of whom were calling for tabling of the expected impeachment of President Edgar Lungu , at national Assembly grounds.
Ms. Namugala said if they were any police officers within the parliament premises they should vacate ,immediately.
The Deputy First Speaker , who said parliamentarians must not be intimidated in any manner, later presided the normal business of the House.
Mines Minister Richard Musukwa and Home Affairs counterpart Stephen Kampyongo issued their ministerial statements in the House.
Thereafter, the House tackled questions for oral answers starting with PF Kanyama lawmaker, Elizabeth Phiri who wanted to find out whether the Minister of Local Government is aware that garbage has started to accumulate her constituency thereby frustrating the fight against the cholera epidemic.
The lawmaker also wanted to know what measures were being taken by the to ensure that the Ministry of Local Government was taking to ensure that the Lusaka City Council collects the garbage, on a regular basis.
Both sides are not working to improve the lives of the Zambian people. Change will come to this beautiful county someday.
True. For me Edgar or no Edgar, Hakainde or no Hakainde, Zambians deserve better than this clowning. Why can’t people wait until their time comes. You know forcing matters has more often resulted in tragedy.
How possible is it to impeach a president whom your dont recognize? What nkombo should have done was first to state that upnd recognize the fact that Ecl was legally and duly elected president of the Republic of Zambia. Next to follow was the impeachment motion but since they are under5s and bitter souls they want to do things like kids.
Is this what it is – a hide and seek affair?
Gary Nkombo the man who during the last election said if HH loses he will quit politics. Then HH lost and he is still raising impeachment motions.
Someday can be 200 years from now. Change was needed like yesterday.
Nonsense! Zambians are bleeding and you make such silly comments to please your absentee Party, the PF! NONSENSE!
What can Namugala explain. She wants women to take off their clothes to be heard. What a scatter brain
The oppositions biggest priority is to take the ruling out of power. Then the cycle changes again. Note that in this scenario, nothing involves the Zambian citizenry.
We are between a rock and a very hard place. You look at the mess we are in and then the so called alternative none has got Zambia at heart. These are wasted years indeed!
PF playing cards always, those cards you playing are going to be your demise. Nothing is straight forward with PF, we getting tired of these games. A simple motion like this with your numbers as you boast should be easy to defeat but now you almost urinating on yourselves just when you hear the word impeachment. A good leader or party will find ways to work together to try and address the issues raised instead of the tactics you using, it’s not only UPND who is displeased with ECL, many PF cadres have been voicing their concerns as many are struggling to survive.
Fredrick Chiluba’s “dribbling tacts” resurrected.
The PF is just trying to buy time over the impeachment motion. They want by the time it will be tabled in the House, they will have heavily bribed their MPs. They do realize that some of their MPs are not happy that the President appointed ‘MMD’ MPs to Ministerial positions. So they could not take that risk. Do not insult our intelligence.
The under 5 boys have got nothing to offer to the Zambians
When you impeached ECL what are we going to benefit unsteady of giving checks and balances to the government, you start doing things through hatred when you know yourself , its not about the people who voted for you to be MPs , we have no water in our house , talk of fuel , about kwacha and the medicine but all what you focus today is not benefiting us , you have lost it now what follows talk for the people in parliament not about your hatred its time to work now go back to your constituency find out what are we lucking than just concentrate on one man .
@Joseph.
YOU are VERY si1ly. Hw can the MOs go empty handed when Edgar is NOT GIVING THEM CDF???,
Trust and Confidence is priceless. These Shenanigans by PF means that they don’t trust their MPs. This is a Recipe for disaster in PF. They have a majority in Parliament and they should have quickly defeated the Impeachment Motion becoz they have the numbers. PF are afraid of secret voting on the Motion. This is a vote of confidence in the PF MPs by the PF Leadership. Things fall apart when the Centre can no longer hold.
Upnds just wait for your time 2021 you never win this battle.
ha ha you never know who is wearing a pf pant, you cant see it only their actions it like a mans heat
Since it is coming from Catherine Namugala and not Patrick Matibini, I will accept what she has said. She is better than Matibini in every way. Her only negative side is her romantic entanglements with Felix Mutati, Dr. Austin Sichinga and Mwalimu Simfukwe in the past, but hey who will be the first one to throw a stone at her.
I know it hurts.Thats why its called the truth.
The UPND will NEVER rule Zambia.
Honestly wonders will never end.
They tried the ballot and lost miserably.
They tried a coalition and they lost.
They tried dundumwezi and lost.
They tried the courts and they lost.
They will try impeachment and will lose.
Then what?
Tanzania, Namibia , Botswana and Angola have made a lot of progress because they have not changed the ruling party. …only change presidents. Here just because FTJ hated KK he dismantled everything built by KK. Sata abhorred Rupiah so much that he had to reverse the sale of Zamtel. You need consistency with progressive changes. We’re not a united country and how I wish the borders had been drawn along tribal or ethnic lines.
You spoiled your good contribution by adding ‘how I wish the borders had been drawn along tribal or ethnic lines’.
There wouldn’t be this thing of tribalism, voting on tribe lines. It would have been better that way. Not that I am tribal, but it complicates things like I’ve to be careful whenever I am with my Tonga friends.
@ 12.2 Ndanje khakis
I get your point. It is for that reason that, over the last 20 years, the map of Europe has changed.
UPND believes that the South African Constitution applies to Zambia hence copying what happens in South African Parliament. Free advice is that the South African Constitution they elect a political party who then elect or select their President, while in Zambia the President is elected by all citizens by a separate ballot and can only be removed by the citizens. Further, this Constitution was presented to parliament by Edgar Lungu when all other previous Presidents failed to do so. These rights being exercised by UPND were made available by Edgar Lungu and UPND voted against the amended constitution just as they did against the Bill of Rights.