PF acting national chairperson Davies Chama says Parliament has become a circus and an embarrassment because people who were appointed to lead it don’t know what they are doing.

Commenting on the suspension of 30 PF members of parliament, Chama said the high standards that were set by the previous presiding officers were being eroded at a fast rate.

“The unfortunate part is that Parliament seems now to be a circus, it is like a circus. It is eroding the separation of powers as enshrined in our Republican Constitution. That is the problem when you appoint people to lead these central positions, positions of high responsibility, people who don’t know what they are doing. It is like you just pick people from the streets because they are just cadres. It is very unfortunate what is transpiring in Parliament, I have been following. Even the way Parliament is being guided, for the lack of a better word, you can call it a sham, it is actually becoming an embarrassment!” he said.

“The high standards that have been set by the previous presiding officers are being eroded at a very fast rate. I don’t know what record the new presiding officers want to set. This will be the worst Parliament that we will have ever had, from the time of the Nabulyato’s and the other very eminent [people]. People who were very sober, who knew what they were doing. The role of Parliament is really to provide checks and balances on the Executive and make sure that the Zambian people are properly represented and the voices of the Zambian people are heard in the House. Where the government cannot see, the opposition will see and advise the government so that government can efficiently provide the services to the Zambian people. What transpired is very sad and people are even justifying, they are comparing what transpired in the past to what is transpiring now. There are two different scenarios, they are totally different.”

Chama said the Zambian Parliament is held in high esteem by other Parliaments and governments, adding that the current happenings were embarrassing.

“It does not affect the party, it will not affect the party in any way. The party will still continue functioning. [Our Parliament is held] in very high esteem by other Parliaments and other governments outside Zambia. But at the rate at which we are moving, I can tell you the embarrassment that is being caused to the country and to the Parliament is beyond repair. A lot of people used to come to benchmark, they have been following how Parliament has been operating but now what is happening is laughable. It is an embarrassment really, it is a very big embarrassment. The separation of power, there is the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature. We are losing it completely in terms of providing checks and balances on the Executive,” said Chama.