Thursday, July 30, 2009

Nawakwi joins impeachment debate

Nearly three weeks ago the Patriotic Front and the United party for National Development (UPND) announced a pact that will see the two political parties fielding one presidential candidate. To show how serious the two political parties are they have fielded one candidate to fight the Chitambo parliamentary seat left vacant by the death of the sitting Movement for Multiparty Democracy MP.

But what appears to have raised a lot of dust from the two political parties is their call for President rupiah Banda to be impeached. The present sitting of the National Assembly is likely to see such a motion raised in parliament for debate. A number of ngos have condemned the move.

Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda says the PF/UPND pact has not articulated the issue to make Zambians understand the reasons why they want President Banda impeached. Kabanda said it was difficult to understand why the parties wanted an impeachment when they had failed to articulate the reasons.

Former UPND vice-president, Patrick Chisanga also says the basis of the pact’s argument for the impeachment was difficult to understand. Chisanga said impeachment was a serious matter and those involved in moving such a motion should ensure the sovereignty and integrity of the country was not compromised.

Now Forum For Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has joined the impeach the president debate. She says there are no constitutional breaches to constitute the impeachment of President Rupiah Banda.

Nawakwi said July 29 that appointing of former Communications Minister, Dora Siliya and MMD national chairperson, Michael Mabenga as Minister of Education and Lands Deputy Minister did not constitute violation of the Constitution.

She said the proposed impeachment being initiated by the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) pact was vanity because it appeared to have no basis.

She said the president was also an MP and that impeaching him at this time would also mean dissolution of Parliament and wondered if parliamentarians would be willing to entertain such a motion.

She urged Zambians to focus on national development and wait for 2011 in which the next elections would be held.

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