NRPUP LUSAKA YOUTH WING QUESTIONS PARTY’s PROPORTIONAL MP LIST
THE National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) Lusaka Province Youth Chairman Cliff Bwalya has expressed concern over the Proportional Representation Members of Parliament list submitted to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
Mr Bwalya said NRPUP president Ezra Tembo should have consulted the wider party leadership before submitting the list, given the collective efforts made to attain the proportional representation threshold.
He said the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance understood that it was entitled to 16 MPs under the constitutional arrangement, but only eight names were appearing under NRPUP on the list submitted to the ECZ.
“Our understanding was that we were entitled to 16 MPs under the Constitution,” Mr Bwalya said.
He further questioned the composition of the eight-member list, saying the nominees did not appear to represent members agreed upon within the alliance.
“Even these 8 MPs are not coming from the NRPUP/ Tonse Pamodzi Alliance,” he said.
The Tonse Pamodzi Alliance Lusaka province youth Chairperson reminded Mr Tembo that the achievement of the proportional representation threshold had been a collective effort involving alliance members.
“We moved and worked as a team to achieve this,” he said.
He said Mr Tembo should not handle the matter independently without consulting other alliance leaders.
“Mr. Ezra Tembo cannot be working in isolation without the Tonse Pamodzi Alliance leadership,” Mr Bwalya said.
The Lusaka Province youth wing has consequently called for urgent action to address concerns surrounding the submitted list.
“We demand transparency and quick action on the list,” Mr Bwalya said, adding that this would help ensure that agreed alliance members were included and what he described as justice prevailed.