Former Chifunabuli MP, Ponde Chunga Mecha Differs With PF MPs, on Suspension
……..PF should trivialize the issue of decorum of the Assembly and the speaker’s ruling on the 30 PF MPs at their own peril.
The best PF members can do, especially those aspiring to take the mantles of power at the level of party president is to reflect and learn lessons from an otherwise proper ruling of the speaker.
Lesson one: Inability by the opposition leadership and MPs to discern and understand the gravity of the offence they committed, which caused disruption of the proceedings of the house demonstrates poor understanding of the provisions of the very Act that governs their affairs with respect to powers and privileges.
Accordingly, a refresher course is recommended for all MPs on the legal and regulatory framework governing the national assembly affairs. This will inevitably help MPs to avoid leading one another into a ditch as has happened, leading to suspension of innocent and new MPs.
How can one really fail to foresee contempt of the Assembly of this serious nature? Similarly, loss of membership on the committee of privileges and absences due to misconduct especially by critical members of the largest opposition party is a serious indictment on its leadership as it demonstrates lack of understanding of the National Assembly standing orders.
Frankly speaking this weighs heavily on leadership qualities. Our MPs should without fail undertake to study the national assembly standing orders which they have themselves put together.
Lesson two: The collective/group exculpatory letter as observed by the speaker was neither apologetic nor remorseful. Perhaps PF requires a serious introspection in order to ascertain whether the much talked about arrogance has now been taken to another level.
Clearly, the speaker’s decision can be seen as punishment of PF’s continued arrogance. The leadership should work on this serious vice. There’s always the best way of putting your grievances/complaints across to the speaker, which in this case is through a well crafted point of order as done by Hon Garry Nkombo and Hon Haimbe, which resulted into the punishment PF MPss suffered.
Has the largest opposition party ever cared to orient it’s members on how to craft impactful points of order? May this is where they need to focus their attention because in bemba we say “ukupangila insofu Kano uli nefumo/umufwi”. One needs to possess appropriate skills for him/her to achieve their goal.
Lesson three: It is very embarrassing to be charged with the offence of Gross misconduct (dishonorable conduct) of carrying out a protest in the chamber resulting in the disruption of the proceedings of the Assembly.
Really, what lessons are the PF demonized cadres going to learn from their leaders, whose conduct and behaviour have been found short of being exemplary and not beyond reproach. Perhaps this is the right time for PF to start changing their approach so as to inculcate a new culture in the PF cadres/membership.
Ignore or trivialize the lessons from the speaker’s ruling at your own peril.
Ndepitafye mukwai
Ponde Chunga Mecha
