LAZ SUES PRES LUNGU
… but Tutwa says UPND using LAZ in ploy to get to State House using back door
THE Law Association of Zambia has sued President Edgar Lungu, Attorney General and the National Assembly over the constitution amendment bill in the constitutional court. LAZ has also petitioned the Speaker of the National Assembly to halt the enactment process of the Constitution Amendment bill pending hearing of the court process by the Constitutional Court.
However, Government Deputy Chief Whip Tutwa Ngulube has charged the court process targeting President Edgar Lungu over the constitution amendment bill is a UPND ploy disguised as Law Association of Zambia and is an attempt by Hakainde Hichilema and his team to try to go to State House using back door,.
And Patriotic Front Media Director Sunday Chanda has described the John Sangwa led court process as an exercise in futility.
e two were reacting to the LAZ petition in the Constitutional Court citing President Lungu as rst respondent, Attorney General and National Assembly as second and third respondents respectively.
According to the petition, LAZ is seeking a declaration that the respondents’ decision in seeking to amend the constitution in the manner set in the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill no. 10 0f 2019, is illegal because it allegedly contravenes articles 1(2), 8, 9, 61, 79, 90, 92 and 79 of the constitution.
LAZ is being represented by Simeza, Sangwa and Associates.
However, Mr Ngulube said in an interview yesterday, Mr Hichilema was using John Sangwa and others to paint the amendment bill as useless but warned that this would not work.
“ ese are the same people who insulted the Constitution Court Judges saying that they were incompetent, not quali ed and did not have capacity to handle any constitutional matter in the country and today have woken up to present their petition,” Mr Ngulube said.
Mr Ngulube who is also a LAZ member reminded Mr Hichilema and the Sangwa led team that people of Zambia were not sleeping and were aware the evil attempt to capture the State.
He was reacting to the petition by Mr Sangwa and others suing President Edgar Lungu P.4 as the rst respondent and the National Assembly as second respondent to halt the Constitution Amendment process.
“We know this is an attempt to capture the President. What they want is that if they capture the President tomorrow they will run and claim that they have power to govern,” he said.
Mr Ngulube said all lawyers were aware that no one can sue the President because he had immunity.
“It is not in dispute, the President can only be sued in his personal capacity in civil matters were the President’s immunity is lifted.
And secondly Parliament is represented by the Attorney General, so there is no law in Zambia which allows Parliament to be sued.
We know that the Attorney General will wake up and do necessary applications of the mis-jointer to remove the President and Parliament from this petition,” he said.
ere is no law which stops Parliament from passing laws, so the petition will not go anywhere, he said.
And Mr Chanda said the attempts by Mr Sangwa and others to stop the Constitution Amendment Bill is an exercise of futility.
Mr Chanda said the route taken by Mr Sangwa and others would not go anywhere because the bill was already at Parliamentary level.
He said it was well known that the said lawyer and others were ghting for the interest of the UPND.
He said the said lawyers just wanted to frustrate the process by dragging but it but that this would not be tolerated. “ is is an exercise in futility,” Mr Chanda said.
We know this is an attempt to capture the President. What they want is that if they capture the President tomorrow they will run and claim that they have power to govern,” — Mr Ngulube.
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu should be supported in his proposal for a mechanism to allow electorates impeach their underperforming members of Parliament before the end of their term, says National Congress Party leader Peter Chanda.
Mr Chanda says if the electorate had power, it would enable them re-call underperforming MPs so that they could be replaced without even calling for by-elections.
He said underperforming parliamentarians were a drawback to the country’s development.
Mr Chanda said the MPs should be accountable for their failure to ful ll campaign promises to electorates, adding the proposal by the President for a mechanism that gives them (electorates) powers to reprimand or recall their MPs was a welcome move.
“We know these MPs make promises to people to vote for them, and if they do not ful ll that promise, the electorates have a right to recall them and this should
be looked at in the ongoing constitutional bill as a priority,” he said.
While in Chinsali, President Lungu proposed that there must be a mechanism that would allow electorates to recall their underperforming before the end of their term.
Mr Chanda said this would ensure parliamentarians were dedicated to their responsibility they were voted for, adding MPs should understand that they were not elected by their parties alone but also other Zambians.
He said people were eager to see development in their respective constituencies.
Mr Chanda added that there should be an electoral system to ensure electorates petition undeforming MPs through their parties so that they could be replaced for smooth development.
“We cannot have situations whereby some MPs just go to parliament and sit without contributing anything, when their people have challenges that deserve redress,” he said.
Some corporate world are eager to support development in her constituency because they have seen her e ort. Kanyama will never be the same,” said Mr Chanda.
Mr Chanda said the absence of the MPs in their constituencies was an indication that they do not understand their role and therefore should not be given another mandate.
here should e an electoral system to ensure electorates petition unde orming s through their parties so that they could e replaced or smooth de elopment , — Peter Chanda