POLICE STOP CHITAMBO MP FROM HOLDING DEVELOPMENT MEETING

POLICE STOP CHITAMBO MP FROM HOLDING DEVELOPMENT MEETING

Serenje -24th December 2023

Police in Chitambo District have stopped the area member if Parliament from holding a development meeting.

Area MP, Hon. Remember Mutale was on this day 24th of December 2023 was scheduled to address a developmental meeting at Chitambo UCZ grounds at 14hrs .

This meeting was scheduled to take place at 14hrs when the Serenje commanding officer a Mr Christopher Chibuye called the Area Member of Parliament to inform him that he had recieved instructions from above to stop the said meeting.

In that phone conversation the Officer Commanding failed to give reasons as to why the meeting was being cancelled.
He said the Police expected the area Member of Parliament to notify the police.

When asked about the law he was using to stop the meeting. He failed to cite any law and quickly cut off his line and another phone call came in from the Central Province Commanding officer who also notified the MP that the meeting was cancelled forth with.

Through this meeting it was expected that the area member of parliament was to explain and provide answers to the many challenges surrounding the distribution of farming inputs for this farming season, the social Cash Transfer challenges, The out break of measiles and many more other petinent issues as you might be aware parliament is on resease and this is the right time and chance for Elected Members of parliament to engage and interact with the constituents.

The MP inquired for reasons and law that was being used to stop the meeting. The officer also failed to site any law and cut off the phone though before cutting the phone he indicated that he was sending a battalion of police officers to go and disperse the meeting.

The Mp decided to proceed with the meeting because people had already gathered and no law was being broken.

Not until an officer from Chitambo police a Mr Patrick Tembo confroted him and told him to stop the meeting to the amazement of the gathering.

The meeting was finally stopped sending shock and suprise to the constituents.

For the purposes of educating the police. It is the right of an elected Member of Parliament to hold Meetings in his Constituency to explain Developmental issues and many ither important matters affecting their constituents.

This matter was ruled at court on many instances and parliament through Speaker Matibini passed so many rulings and also her successor, Speaker Nelly mutti has ruled and cautioned police to stay away from activities of members of parlamet for it is within the mandate of an MP to interact with constituents.

The latest ruling by Madam Speaker Nelly Mutti is a matter was made in a case of the Kasenengwa member of parliament a Mr Phillimone Twasa who wast treated in the same manner as chitambo member of parliament. The speaker ruled and cautiond the police to desist from interfering with the work of an MP.