Tutwa challenges UPND bluff
THE ruling Patriotic Front (PF) legal team is ready to defend any court action by UPND and its surrogates against the progressive constitution amendment Bill 10, says deputy Parliamentary Chief Whip, Tutwa Ngulube.
Mr Ngulube said it was laughable that the UPND members were making empty threats in a quest to mislead the people that they would go to court if Bill 10 was brought back for deliberation before Parliament.
This follows threats by UPND deputy spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa that they would take any appropriate action and exhaust all avenues within the confines of the law to ensure that Government did not proceed with the bill.
Addressing the media at the UPND secretariat on Wednesday, Mr Mweetwa said the lifespan of Bill 10 has elapsed, that the Standing Orders Committee of Parliament had no legal backing too change rules of the House to suit those who were in support of it.
But Mr Ngulube, who described Mr Mweetwa‘s utterances as unfortunate, challenged him and the UPND to go ahead with court action or stop making empty threats.
He said Mr Mweetwa was misleading the nation that there was no law that states a bill could not be debated beyond six months because Article 77 of the constitution of Zambia empowers Parliament to make its own rules.
“Article 77(1) of the constitution and section 34 of the National Assembly Privileges Act empowers parliament to make its own rules and when it decides to do anything, it cannot be illegal.
“Let him stop misleading the people. In fact the legal teams of the ruling party are ready to defend any court action against Bill 10,” Mr Ngulube said.
And Mr Ngulube who is a lawyer by profession said it was sad that the UPND was ill-advised by the US-based Zambian lawyer, Professor Muna Ndulo who he said had lost touch with Zambian laws.
“I pity the UPND, they are being misled by lawyers like Professor Muna Ndulo. In fact Professor Ndulo who has been misleading them has never been an MP, Judge or State Counsel. He is an academician and not in a real world,” Mr Ngulube said.