MWANZA BACKS HH ON MINISTERS DROPPING PARLIAMENTARY SEATS
DEMOCRATIC Progressive Party (DPP) president Antonio Mourinho Mwanza has backed President Hakainde Hichilema’s call for Cabinet Ministers to consider abandoning parliamentary seats in order to concentrate on running their ministries.
Mr Mwanza said President Hichilema had a valid point, arguing that combining Cabinet responsibilities with constituency representation effectively amounted to doing two full-time jobs.
He quoted President Hichilema as saying, “I asked other Cabinet Ministers not to recontest their constituencies.”
Mr Mwanza said ministers who concentrated on their constituencies risked neglecting their ministries, while those prioritising ministerial duties could fail to adequately serve their constituents.
He further quoted President Hichilema as saying, “Now they are gone forever.”
Mr Mwanza said Zambia should therefore consider appointing Cabinet Ministers from outside Parliament.
He said MPs should focus on legislation and representation, while ministers should concentrate on delivering results in their respective ministries.
Mr Mwanza said government should appoint people based on competence rather than their ability to win elections.
Most informed people agree. Being a minister is a demanding full-time responsibility that cannot be done effectively if the job holder combines it with constituency duties.
I agree with this position. I have said it time and again, moreso that most of our politicians, particurlarly MPs are not well proceeded academically. They find multi-tasking and time management challenging. In any case most of them go into Parley for their own good as a career. That’s the reason most of them finish and drop into poverty once they are out of Parliament. A reason some attempt re-contesting. But then given the same reason HH gave to Haimbe, why did he allow Dr. Musokotwane to stand as MP?