PUBLISH LIST FOR THE VOTE ON CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT BILL No. 7 – Musa Mwenya
By: Staff Reporter
Former Attorney General Musa Mwenya, SC, has called on the National Assembly to publish the division list for the vote on Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7, following President Hakainde Hichilema’s revelation that four UPND Members of Parliament voted against the controversial legislation.
In a statement, Mwenya said the President’s remarks had raised important questions about how MPs voted during the Bill 7 proceedings and whether the vote was unanimous.
“The President of the Republic of Zambia has today revealed that four UPND members voted against Bill 7. This is an extremely important revelation,” Mwenya stated.
He noted that under the Standing Orders of the National Assembly, every vote is normally followed by the publication of votes and proceedings, including a division list showing how each individual MP voted.
Mwenya questioned why the division list relating to Bill 7 had not been made public.
“Was the vote unanimous? Did some MPs vote against the Bill? If so, how many? Like the President, I am interested to know exactly who voted for or against Bill 7,” he said.
The senior lawyer argued that transparency on parliamentary voting records was essential, especially on a matter as significant as constitutional reform.
“For some reason, the division list for Bill 7 has never been published by the National Assembly,” he observed.
Mwenya has since urged Parliament to release the voting record to enable the public to know how their elected representatives voted on the proposed constitutional amendments.
“Could the National Assembly please publish the division list on the Bill 7 vote,” he appealed.
His call comes amid continued public debate over the fate of Bill 7 and the positions taken by MPs during the legislative process.
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