I have not withdrawn impeachment says Sata

Patriotic Front president, Michael Sata says he has not withdrawn the impeachment from the National Assembly. He said August 4 claims by President Banda that he and the pact had withdrawn the petition to commence impeachment were false.

UPND spokesperson, Charles Kakoma said the party was not aware of any changes following instructions to Wynter Kabimba and Company to handle the matter. Kakoma, who is Zambezi West MP, said the pact engaged the law firm because the issue required thorough research on the president’s alleged offences. He said as far as the UPND was concerned, the pact had not issued fresh instructions to the lawyers to discontinue the matter.

MMD chief whip, Vernon Mwaanga said the intended impeachment of President Banda by the PF and UPND MPs had lamentably failed. Mwaanga said the failure to move the motion within the 14 days that the PF and UPND set for themselves was an admission that the impeachment motion would not go to the House.

“This is the nearest way to say that they don’t have numbers in the House to impeach the president. Impeachable reasons as stipulated in article 37 of the constitution in the absence of these impeachable reasons, it is not possible for the president to be impeached.

“Impeachment is not only a political process but a parliamentary process anchored on article 37 of the Republican constitution,” he said.