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Vice President, Mutale Nalumango, has stated that the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) did not want by-elections in the country because it is focused on handling serious issues like the drought.
Nalumango denied allegations that the declaration of the nine Patriotic Front lawmakers’ seats vacant was not initiated by the government or President Hakainde Hichilema.
During her question and answer session in Parliament on Friday, Nalumango advised the opposition to stop dragging the UPND government into their internal conflicts but concentrate on resolving their issues.
She accused the opposition of being directionless.
“The PF is eating itself and the government has nothing to do with it. They took themselves to court and expelled their members, so the government has no role in their issues,” Nalumango said.
She stated that the government was not careless in spending national resources but was ensuring prudence, especially since the fiscal space had now improved.
Nalumango claimed that the behavior of the opposition PF was frustrating Zambians, particularly because they reduced the fiscal space through unnecessary borrowing.
“We value you, we are democratic, we value the opposition, but the opposition is lost. ‘Chikunya,’ which is a Tonga word meaning eating oneself, and you think we should help you? No way,” she said.
Nalumango was responding to a question from Mpika Central PF Member of Parliament Robert Francis Kapyanga, who wanted to know whether the current fiscal space would allow the country to hold nine by-elections.
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