PARLIAMENT HAS BECOME TOXIC
…it is responsible for the situation Zambians are in today – Hon Fube
Chilubi Member of Parliament Mulenga Fube has charged that Parliament is responsible for most of the challenges Zambians are faced with today.
Hon Fube also raised concerns on the manner in which presiding officers are treating lawmakers in the house.
He said this when he and other PF MPs addressed the media today.
“I do agree I think 1000% that Parliament is responsible for the situation we are in as a country. Why Parliament is responsible? Because that is the people’s house. Why Parliament is responsible? Because we stopped a lot of issues including cholera,” he said.
“I remember during one session, Dr Chitalu raised an issue he was stopped like a child. I remember how many times we have been stopped especially talking about agriculture and things to do with food security in the country.”
He lamented that Zambia has never, even at its worst, been faced with challenges it is faced with today.
“But I think I want to overemphasize that this phenomenon we have seen has never been in Zambia before. Even at our worst, we have never encountered this phenomenon in Zambia before. That is why you find that Article 61, 62, 63, gives leverage to Members of Parliament elected or nominated to discuss these issues openly because the law is that one, we represent, two, we legislate, three, we approve the budget, four, we do an oversight role,” he said.
“Apa tufikile, epalya aba Yuda baishile beba ati kakuleni chipondo Barnabas, mutupele Yesu wakaele… That is where we have reached because the Zambians who are innocent are being crucified by institutional corruption. I think the leader of opposition did emphasize that as we stand, Parliament has become a very toxic place, very, highly toxic place where debate cannot be allowed to floor.”
Hon Fube said Parliament has the alpha and omega in terms of ownership of certain instruments that are supposed to facilitate the flow of debate.
“And in this case I mean the privileges, Parliamentary Privileges Act, have been suspended in all its entirety because of the practice that is going on there. The 2021 standing orders book is suspended… the Constitution, among them, Article 76 is suspended because what is happening in Parliament does not follow what these documents have stated,” he said.
“We have seen how the presiding officers have stopped us as children. Sometimes you are told, even before you speak, the presiding officer knows what you want to talk about. You are told to be relevant. Especially the opposition, we have suffered that. I am a victim, several times. Sometimes the presiding officer will come up with come up with methods like no, I am trying to balance in order to avoid certain people to speak.”
He fumed that MPs were not elected as puppets of the presiding officers.
Hon Fube also charged that President Hakainde Hichilema has applied a heavy hand on the legislature.
He said “we want to have some sanity and if that sanity is not given we will create it.”