Njowepo
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 26, 2008
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. The party has expelled nine MPs for accepting ministerial appointments.
By Michael Chawe
The Citizen Correspondent
Lusaka. Zambia's former ruling party Movement for Multiparty Democracy on Friday expelled nine of its senior MPs for accepting ministerial jobs from President Michael Sata's government which wrestled power from it in last September poll.
President Sata, who himself expelled some of his members almost four years ago for attending the late Levy Mwanawasa's government constitution making process, appointed nine of the MMD members as deputy ministers, a move the party said was meant to obliterate them. Under Zambia's law, a president has powers to appoint ministers from among MPs regardless of their political affiliation.
"I wish to announce that our party has decided to invoke the resolution of the Parliamentary Liaison Committee, which was held immediately after losing the 2011 election, that states that; any MMD member of parliament who accepts a ministerial job from the PF government ceases to be a member of the MMD and a letter of expulsion shall be sent to the National Assembly to inform the Speaker accordingly," MMD President Nevers Mumba told reporters in Lusaka Friday.
The move by the former televangelist leader was likely to be interpreted as antagonistic by some analysts. Pastor Mumba said President Sata had declared war by "brutally hunting" his members to belong to the ruling Patriotic Front and they would fight back to the hilt.
Some of the MPs expelled said they would not resign until their final fate. Patriotic Front secretary-general Wynter Kabimba said his party would adopt the expelled members to re-contest their seats and consider the move as a "gift".
The PF currently has majority in parliament.
Souce
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/sunday-citizen/39-young-citizen/24041-nine-mps-expelled-from-zambias-mmd-for-accepting-cabinet-posts
By Michael Chawe
The Citizen Correspondent
Lusaka. Zambia's former ruling party Movement for Multiparty Democracy on Friday expelled nine of its senior MPs for accepting ministerial jobs from President Michael Sata's government which wrestled power from it in last September poll.
President Sata, who himself expelled some of his members almost four years ago for attending the late Levy Mwanawasa's government constitution making process, appointed nine of the MMD members as deputy ministers, a move the party said was meant to obliterate them. Under Zambia's law, a president has powers to appoint ministers from among MPs regardless of their political affiliation.
"I wish to announce that our party has decided to invoke the resolution of the Parliamentary Liaison Committee, which was held immediately after losing the 2011 election, that states that; any MMD member of parliament who accepts a ministerial job from the PF government ceases to be a member of the MMD and a letter of expulsion shall be sent to the National Assembly to inform the Speaker accordingly," MMD President Nevers Mumba told reporters in Lusaka Friday.
The move by the former televangelist leader was likely to be interpreted as antagonistic by some analysts. Pastor Mumba said President Sata had declared war by "brutally hunting" his members to belong to the ruling Patriotic Front and they would fight back to the hilt.
Some of the MPs expelled said they would not resign until their final fate. Patriotic Front secretary-general Wynter Kabimba said his party would adopt the expelled members to re-contest their seats and consider the move as a "gift".
The PF currently has majority in parliament.
Souce
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/sunday-citizen/39-young-citizen/24041-nine-mps-expelled-from-zambias-mmd-for-accepting-cabinet-posts
