14/08/2020
Contact* : UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka,
0970141010/0977780397
*Email* : info@upndzambia.org
LUSAKA-We are shocked that in the face of the swelling COVID-19 cases, President Edgar Lungu and his unPatriotic Front want to reopen the National Assembly just so they can resuscitate his dead Bill 10.
We are shocked in the sense that Vice President Inonge Wina moved a motion to adjourn parliament sine die (indefinitely) due to the rise in COVID-19 cases which at the time were 3, 326. Our view is that cases have now doubled at 8,663 with 246 deaths and to think of resuming parliament amounts to desperation obviously for PF Bill 10 to go through.
The House has seen the death of two Member of Parliament to this deadly pandemic and many more members of staff have been found positive of COVID-19 after the adjournment.
a right -thinking person would decide to re- open parliament. Zambia is not in a constitutional crisis that it should risk lives of people over BILL 10.
Vice President Inonge Wina moved a motion to adjourn parliament sine die (indefinitely) due to the rise in COVID_19 cases which at the time were 3, 326. Our view is that cases have now doubled at 8,663 with 246 deaths and to think of resuming parliament amounts to desperation obviously for PF Bill 10 to go through.
We are appalled that the PF now wants to put at risk the lives of the over 150 members of parliament, their families and hundreds of the members of staff at the National Assembly so that they again illegally push for Bill 10.
As UPND, we are urging the Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly not to allow resumption of sitting in the face of increasing COVID-19 cases.
The country has already lost two members of parliament and other senior government officials while others are still admitted at Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital due the pandemic.
Zambia has no constitutional crises to warrant the resumption of sitting of parliament amidst this deadly pandemic.
© UPND MEDIA TEAM
