Chief Whip Mulusa states conditions under which opposition lawmakers will be allowed to table discussions on cost of living

Parliamentary Government Chief Whip, Stafford Mulusa, has urged opposition Members of Parliament to present a Private Member’s Motion under Standing Orders 89 to allow ample time for debate on the cost of living.

Speaking at a media briefing at Parliament Buildings in Lusaka on Thursday, Mulusa stated that the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) MPs were prepared to debate the issue if it was formally introduced by the opposition.

He dismissed reports suggesting that UPND lawmakers staged a walkout from the National Assembly on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, after Lunte Constituency Patriotic Front (PF) MP Mutotwe Kafwaya raised a motion on the high cost of living.

“First and foremost, I want to clarify that Honourable Kafwaya did not raise a Private Member’s Motion under Standing Orders 89,” Mulusa said.

Instead, he explained that Kafwaya raised the issue under “Subject for Debate on the Motion of Adjournment” as outlined in Standing Orders 30.

He noted that Standing Orders 30 (1) permits debates on subjects when business is interrupted or concluded early, while clauses (3) and (4) limit the debate to ten minutes for the proposer and five minutes for other contributors.

Mulusa argued that such limited time was insufficient for a substantive discussion on a crucial issue like the cost of living, stressing that the opposition should follow proper parliamentary procedures.

“The cost of living is an important subject that cannot be trivialized by bringing it under a debate on the motion of adjournment,” he said.

He reiterated that UPND MPs were ready to debate the matter anytime and anywhere, expressing confidence in the economic policies of President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration.

Mulusa further criticized PF MPs, claiming they lacked moral authority to raise concerns about the cost of living when their administration was responsible for economic challenges such as high debt, corruption, and maladministration.

“The country is still grappling with these issues, which President Hichilema and his government are working hard to address,” he added.

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