By 
Patriotic Front (PF) faction president, Miles Sampa, has made a surprise reversal by reinstating Members of Parliament, Anthony Kasandwe, and Melesiana Phiri, who were previously expelled from the party.
Kasandwe and Phiri had faced expulsion due to their refusal to accept salary deductions.
However, a last-minute settlement has now seen them reinstated.
The Constitutional Court was set to decide their fate, but a consent agreement filed on Thursday led Secretary-General Morgan Ng’ona to withdraw the letter declaring their resignation.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, was also informed that their seats would not be declared vacant.
Under the terms of the settlement, Kasandwe, MP for Bangweulu, and Phiri, MP for Milianzi, remained members of both the PF party and the National Assembly.
They would continue their monthly contributions to the party.
The petitioners have also withdrawn all other claims under the petition.
The Attorney-General agreed to the settlement, which has been signed by Judge Arnold Shilimi.
Kasandwe and Phiri had petitioned the Constitutional Court to declare their expulsion from the Patriotic Front illegal, arguing that Sampa and his supporters had no authority to expel them.
They described Sampa as a masquerader of a party president and claimed that neither he nor Secretary-General Ng’ona had the authority to expel them.
Following the 2021 general elections, the PF lawmakers had agreed to a monthly deduction of K5000 from their salaries, which was coordinated through the Clerk of the National Assembly. The deductions were intended to fund an emergency account held at ZANACO Mansa to support Luapula Province during crises such as droughts.
Kasandwe alleged that after Sampa assumed the role of party president in October last year, he froze all party accounts, including the emergency fund.
In response, the 12 lawmakers from Luapula Province, along with 40 others, decided to stop the salary deductions, informing the Clerk of the National Assembly of their decision.
On March 11, 2024, Kasandwe and Phiri were shocked to learn of a letter dated March 3, 2024, from Ng’ona, which accepted their resignations.
They maintained that they had not resigned but had merely instructed the Clerk to stop the deductions.
The agreement may mark the end of a contentious dispute within the PF, ensuring that Kasandwe and Phiri would continue their legislative duties and party contributions.
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