The UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT has maintained that parliament should not make a mistake of retabling the dead constitutional amendment Bill 10 of 2019 as the party will be left with no choice but to seek legal redress through the courts of law.
The party has further revealed that the Patriotic Front’s interest in Bill 10 lies in the repealing of Article 52 (4) of the current Republican constitution as amended in 2016 which empowers citizens to challenge the nomination of a presidential candidate.
Addressing the media this morning at the Party secretariat, UPND deputy national spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa says by his own confession, Chief Government parliamentary whip Brian Mundubile yesterday agreed that Bill 10 elapsed on June 4th,2020 in accordance with procedures and practice of parliament on the lifespan of Bills.
Mr. Mweetwa said the fact that the Bill died twenty days before the Standing Orders Committee decided to defer it to another day is indisputable while what is in dispute is whether the Standing Orders Committee has the jurisdiction to defer a dead Bill to another day.
“What is in dispute is the question on whether the parliamentary Standing Orders Committee operated within its ambits to extend the life of a bill whose life expired 20 days before. What is a fact is that the committee can only give life to a Bill which still has life left in it. This is the position of the UPND legally and procedurally. There is no law which allows the Standing Orders Committee to resurrect any dead Bill”, he said.
Mr. Mweetwa added that the UPND would have no option but to seek legal action and seek interpretation on the provisions of the law surrounding the issue should the PF and Parliament opt to bring the bill back on the order paper as announced by Justice Minister Given Lubinda on the floor of the house.
He said the party was consoled at the fact that it had a legal avenue as well as the numbers necessary to block any further transactions of the dead Bill adding that the bill could only be brought as a fresh constitutional Bill six months after its lapse.
The UPND agreed with the Speaker of the National Assembly that there is something wrong with Bill 10 which is it’s rejection and added that it is wrong to use an Act of God as an excuse for the committee not sitting to defer the bill within its lifespan.
Mr. Mweetwa who is also Choma Central MP accused the PF of having concentrated on looking for members of parliament to garner enough numbers for them to realise that the bill was lapsing.
“Not all is however lost for the PF as there is time to present a new bill to Parliament under a different name and had the opportunity to consult with stakeholders and masses. That can only be after six months and maybe only maybe can we support the amendments”, he said.
The UPND deputy National spokesperson further revealed that the PF interest on Bill 10 is to tamper with Article 52 which provided for challenging the nomination of a presidential candidate by a citizen.
“The PF is scared that President Edgar Lungu’s candidature is likely to be challenged using Article 52(4) of the current constitution hence wanting to repeal the said article using section 12 of Bill 10.The issues in bill10 such as the return of deputy ministers, coalition government, dissolution of parliament were not part of the original plan. These were deliberately introduced to create a ploy to cause confusion. The PF should deal with issues that affect the governance of this country and not those that are political in nature. The PF should not attempt to remove the rights of the people in the constitution to challenge any illegalities” he said.
He said the UPND and it’s members of parliament as well as some independent parliamentarians had seen through the PF lies and machinations which they shall not allow as they are deceptive and aimed at sustaining their stay in power.
Appears UPND has no numbers to shoot down Bill 10 and wants to hide in technicalities. Just go and debate Bill and vote NO in Parliament. Parliament regulate it’s own business
iwe PyeMfu cadre what technicalities? Ain’t you the one one who was screaming that 14 days is 14 days?
Very right! UPND is scared Bill will pass if put on floor of house. Just table it so we see how Parliament will vote
You want them to debate a bill rejected by many and whose owners (we the people) were not consulted. No one wants that bill except you and lungu, everyone is telling you to withdraw it and concentrate on more serious issues before you also cry like mutharika. Continue pushing this bill and you will be heart broken. People can’t wait to chuck you out next year
The PF Chief Whip has conceded that Bill 10 lapsed on June 4, 2020 having been deferred for 6 months. A Bill which is deferred for 6 months dies if not debated and passed during that period. The issue is: Can a dead Bill be resurrected after 20 days of expiry? Legally and procedurally the answer is “No”. So may Bill 10’s Soul Rest in Peace.
No sensible Zambian wants Bill 10 to be passed. The PF government wants to force it on Zambians because they know they have bought enough hungry MPs with no morals to vote with them. These are the dangers of voting for people whose objective is to serve themselves first. PF MPs know that Bill 10 is not good but they have to vote for it anyway so that they can continue to enrich themselves by looting the country dry. Bill 10 has been unpacked for us by many competent analysts and its evils have been exposed. I can’t fathom why anyone can vote for this trash unless they stand to benefit something out of it.
They’re dead scared of the change bill 10 promises.
I am still reading it. So far I don’t have concerns over it.
Power to the people.
Upndeads are not being honest with the facts.
That’s why they will lose 2021 elections.
You will cry in 2021. What has happened in Malawi will happen in Zambia come 2021. Watch this space in 2021 when results will be announced.
They have no option but to face the Bill in Parliament. When they run to Court, it will easily be dismissed at early stage
This is a very simple matter. A deferred Bill has a limited lifespan of 6 months. Bill 10 was deferred on December 4, 2019 and the 6 months lapsed on June 4, 2020. There is no law or Standing Rule which says a Bill can be deferred several times. If it was legally and procedurally acceptable Bill 10 should have been deferred on or b4 June 4,2020 which was the Expiry Date. As per Standing Rule, Bill 10 was “killed” on 4th June 2020. So there is no Bill 10 to debate anymore. Period.
Let them bring it back to parliament then it will be taken to court and knowing our courts, another six months will pass before judgement. Useless systems.
Who the hell do upnd mps think they are. You run away from parliament like cowards and then want to demand what should happen. The bill is here to stay. You are a bunch of premature ejaculators who were celebrating that it was dead and yet the speaker made no such ruling. The upnd know that they have no valid reasons to not vote for bill 10. For political convenience their tribal demigod leader has demanded that they reject the bill at all costs. He is a sadist little b.i.t.ch
Typical uncouth PyemFu cadre insults, no quality debates at all.
Disgruntled cadre always insulting PF Carders shame. Malawi ruling Party is out, wait for 2021 another party in Zambia will sit on a hot iron.
Stop insults to UPND they are coming in as new government in 2021. He does not drink beer his mind is always sober, he feeds Zambia thousands of cows, One wife, He employs thousand of workers, an Economist. etc etc. The next Presido of Zambie. 2021. Same like in Malawi.
To make matters more interesting let Speaker Matibini retable Bill 10 on the Order Paper in Parliament. If UPND issues an injunction on the Bill or Petitions the Bill seeking interpretation at Concourt we would like to see how Matibini will responds since he claims he is above the law. By the time the Bill is argued in Court this Sitting of Parliament will have ended “killing” the Bill anyway. This makes it interesting becoz the Bill cannot be deferred to the next Sitting of Parliament.
To much propaganda confuse I Rasta
Let the DEAD Bury the DEAD
We have work to do we no go funeral
DEAD, DEAD and DEAD
You might as well be DEAD
PF have now become God’s above the law. They are trying to change everything to go according to how they want not what people prefer, not what the Constitution says. In life we must learn to prioritize tasks in their order of importance. Which one is more important right now bill 10 or fixing the messed up economy? Is bill 10 the solution to fixing the debts and removing the economy from the ICU? These guys deserve no mercy when they come out of power. They are the waste of time and resources.
Bloggers, BIll 10 died and died more than 20 days ago and buried. Consistence with ‘IFITALA’ PF should table new bills whose contents should be without the dead bill.
@Aristotle and time, the word b.i.tch is not an insult. It is term which refers to a female dog.used in this context it refers to a weak whining person, HH
KZ is very dull and can’t read the mood of Zambians. Devts in Malawi have helped energise Zambians to vote out Jonathan and the PF Govt next year. No amount of Election Rigging will stop McMillan’s Wind of Change. Bill 10 is dead so Jonathan’s capacity to rig next year’s elections have diminished. Zambians are determined to eject Jonathan and his corrupt Govt out of power in 2021.That objective will be achieved whether Jonathan and PF likes it or not.
If the PF Govt and Parliament want to embarrass themselves let them retable the dead Bill on the Order Paper. Let Lubinda and Matibini entertain us by making fools of themselves. The Courts will show Matibini who is the boss in interpreting the law.
We celebrate the natural death of controversial bill 10. Bill 10 rest in eternal hells.
PF get it straight, forget about this Bill 10. You asked for a chance to reduce taxes, creating 1m jobs and putting more money in the pockets of people. You have achieved non of the above, and to the contrary the reverse is true post MMD.Now you want to spend all your energy on Bill 10 which was never you agenda, after failing on your dochi kubebe agenda….no no no no
Mweetwa is one of the most intelligent of UPND. That’s why lungu is always stopping to greet him in parly…..
“….The PF is scared that President Edgar Lungu’s candidature is likely to be challenged using Article 52(4) of the current constitution hence wanting to repeal the said article using section 12 of Bill 10.The issues in bill10 such as the return of deputy ministers, coalition government, dissolution of parliament were not part of the original plan. These were deliberately introduced to create a ploy to cause confusion. ….”
Imwe, pa fupi kuyenda, why did you arrest Charles Chanda’s mum. You incarcerate an elderly woman on the grounds of helping out vulnerable people sure. What kind of desperation is this. Karma will hit you hard like a freight train…2021 is slowly but surely coming….muyenda imwe.
Bill 10 is dead, don’t exhume it as it will stink.
If you promise not to arrest the current leadership then we can let Bill10 rest. But it seems most of you want us behind bars , so we’re between a rock n a hard place. Tell us way to go
Cader
If you have not committed any crimes , you will not be arrested.
Its dead