EMV EDITORIAL; DECLARING CHAWAMA SEAT VACANT, AN IMMORAL, EVIL AND ILLEGAL ACT
It is clear that President Hakainde Hichilema’s desperate quest to consolidate political power has no moral, ethical, or legal bounds.
When Mwense Council Chairperson, Humphrey Kapapula was murdered in September 2022 after being dragged from his vehicle in Mwense, it was apparent that this could have been a political murder.
However, there were no discernible efforts whatsoever, made to investigate the murder and pursue the suspects.
Instead, there were millions of kwacha mobilised and spent, with political violence perpetrated in efforts by the UPND to capture and win the seat.
It was clear that there were zero efforts applied to investigate the murder.
When both Kawambwa and Pambashe MPs and former Ministers, Nixon Chilangwa, and Ronald Chitotela, including Kawambwa Town Council Chairperson Kalumba Chifumbe were handed down contraversial conviction and jail terms, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Electoral Commission were in such a hurry to hold elections that despite a High Court Order from Chinsali to stop the elections, the institutions ignored the court orders, proceeded with impunity to declare the seats vacant and hold elections.
Similarly, although former Ministers; Bowman Lusambo and Joseph Malanji were eligible to participate and stand in their seats nullified through electoral petitions, Kabushi and Kwacha,President Hichilema personally took the seats as a challenge, campaigned in the two areas despite a Constitutional Court orders and ensured that the duo were prevented from participating in the elections.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia was without shame made to (mis)interpret the law, a matyer that is a preserve of the courts and bar the two.
Although the Constitution Court ruled that ECZ had illegally barred the two candidates and denied them constitutional rights, no remedial measures or fresh elections have been done.
The evil pattern became fully established and despite the parliamentarians facing targeted and fabricated charges, they were jailed to create a vacancy and although they are entilted to court appeals, their bail-pending appeal were flatly denied to create artificial absence in the constituencies and justify declaring these seats vacant and subesquently hold by-elections as seen in Petauke Central, Mfuwe and Lumezi constuencies.
It was also clear that President Hichilema’s cruelty would not spare the Chawama seat held by Tasila Lungu-Mwansa, daughter to his political arch-rival, President Edgar Lungu.
Hichilema targeted the family’s properties, the Patriotic Front Party’s motor vehicles and offices.
When Hon. Tasila Lungu was in the United States on maternity leave, there were several attempts and threats to declare her seat vacant and hold a by-election.
So it not surprising, that Speaker of the National Assembly, who has been a blunt instrument that President Hichilema has repeatedly used to end political careers of his rivals, last week used illegal methods to declare the Chawama seat vacant.
Even her own parliamentary committee informed her that Hon. Tasila was willing to attend parliamentary proceedings via video-conferencing facilities fully established during the pandemic.
Mutti chose tooverrulee the recommendations of her own committee and proceeded to declare the seat through a bogus “vote”.
Further, both President Hichilema and Mutti have been so insensitive and unafrican in failing to recognize that Hon. Tasila Lungu was in mourning and her father remains unburried due to President Hichilema’s own machinations.
It’s not enough that Hichilema can be blamed for the death of his predecessor as repeatedly denied him chances to seek medical treatment , but to proceed.
The Constitution in Article 70 and 71 provides that a seat will be declared vacant or an MP will lose their seat if an MP; resigns, joins another political party, defects, code of conduct through a Tribunal, loses citizenship, disqualification, imprisonment, loss of nomination.
Abscence is not one of them.
This is a malicious and callous decision bot founded in law, not founded in morals.
Having stolen Lungu’s political party, the Party’s seats in Parlaiment, and with former President Lungu dead and unburied, it without doubt that Hichilema and Mutti are dancing on the empty grave of the unburied Lungu, taking satisfaction in the exercise to completely decimate his arch-rival.
This article reflects feelings of inferiority, self-deprecation, and subjugation. Tasila is not a shareholder; she is an employee subject to certain laws and rules. I understand the desire to advocate for Tasila, but what she might need is your compassion because of the work of the law. You can support both sides without condemning the law. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the nation to develop, with such shallow thinking and unnecessary political posturing. Grow up!
Tasila came through chawama not as a popular candidate, but as a privileged person, and as a result of her privelafed entry she felt untouchable and yes she was before depositing her father to two mountains, what happened after the demise or expiry of her father is that she still felt she was untouchable and could do whatever she wanted, that is where this whole issue stems from
What’s immoral, evil and an illegal act is to keep her Father’s mortuary in the mortuary for 6 months. Such a thing has never happened in Zambia. The action taken by the Speaker is supported by the law but what the Lungu family has done is not supported by the law and is against our tradition and culture. Tasila Lungu is not above the law, we have one constitution and should be applied to all citizens.
I meant her Father’s body
Is it morally right for Tasila to be earning a wage she has not worked for. Let us not use fake sympathy as a weapon for ignorance.