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Patriotic Front (PF) Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament has accused President Hakainde Hichilema and the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) of planning to increase the term of office for the President from the current five to seven years.
Kampyongo alleged that Hichilema was using the National Assembly staff such as the Speaker to frustrate opposition Members of Parliament, including Independent, in order to take the Constitution for amendment in their absence.
The Shiwang’andu Constituency PF lawmaker said this when he and other PF leaders addressed party members at the secretariat in Lusaka on Saturday.
“They are frustrating us in the House because of their planned move to increase the presidential term to seven. We are ready to fight for the people and ensure that democracy is restored in the country,” he stated.
Kampyongo said the PF Members of Parliament would not allow the Speaker of National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, to treat them like school-going children while in the House.
He said Members of Parliament were in the National Assembly to represent their people hence the need to be respected by the Speaker and other staff.
“We can’t be treated like pupils in Parliament by Speaker. Some of us have been MPs for a long time and we know that we have the freedom to speak in Parliament because we represent the people,” Kampyongo said
He said it was up to the opposition Members of Parliament, together with the Independent to give proper checks and balances on many issues such as the high cost of living, fuel, prices of mealie meal and the mess in the agriculture sector.
Kampyongo said the PF MPs were in full support of the motion by Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu to impeach Mutti.
“I want to assure you as the opposition Whip in Parliament chosen by the party, I am still doing my duties diligently. You saw the documents going round on social media to impeach the Speaker of National Assembly Nelly Mutti, it is not a PF motion but the mover of that motion is an Independent MP Binwell Mpundu. I just gave him the PF MPs that the will support you because enough is enough,” he said.
Kampyongo said Members of Parliament had the freedom to express themselves in Parliament as they represented their people.
Read More: Opposition lawmakers file motion to seek Speaker Mutti’s impeachment
“If they want to kill us simply because we want democracy to flourish, let them do it. If we won’t rise up to defend the democracy, this country will be destroyed.”
The Shiwang’andu lawmaker also said the PF leadership would not allow Matero Member of Parliament, Miles Sampa, to destroy the party left by former President Michael Chilufya Sata.
“I want to urge PF members to rise up and protect the interests of the party. We are at the PF secretariat and we have not come with police officers. Real members of the PF don’t move with police . Have you seen any leader coming with the police here? When you see a person moving with the police like that just know that he is a problem,” he added.
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