Sesheke UPND member of parliament Romeo Kang’ombe says UPND MPs will walk out of Parliament if the PF continues with its plan to proceed with the Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019.
And Kasempa UPND member of parliament Brenda Tambatamba says the party has a covenant with the Zambian people to protect the Republican Constitution and they will abide by it.
In an interview, Kang’ombe warned that the UPND would walk out of Parliament if the PF pressed ahead with its plan to proceed with debating the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019 because they were looking at serving the majority Zambians rather than serve the interests of ruling elite.
“No member of the UPND is going to vote in favour of the Constitution Amendment Bill, this I am certain. We sat and we agreed. You see, in politics, you listen to the bigger voice. Now in this case, the bigger voice is the bigger population of the Zambian citizens who are not in support of the Bill. Now, why in all fairness and no matter how stupid you are, if you are, indeed, in that office to serve the interests of the people, why should you go with the minority? No one is going to support it and we will walk out, all of us; we are going to walk out of Parliament as soon as they continue their agenda,” Kang’ombe cautioned.
“We did not attend (the National Dialogue Forum) on the pretext that the parliamentary committee that sat and received recommendations from the general public informed the House that we shouldn’t go ahead, but the arrogance of numbers won. So, why should I go if the committee says otherwise. Should I go because the PF members of parliament have pushed their agenda? Even now, as they bring it on the floor of the House, all of us are going to walk out because we are listening to the bigger voice! And we start with the bigger voice and not the minority.”
And Tambatamba explained that the UPND had a covenant with Zambians to protect the Constitution, promising that they will abide by it.
“My position is, as was, I am sure you have taken note what was declared by our whip of the UPND, Honorable Dr (Situmbeko) Musokotwane declared a covenant with the people of Zambia and I, Brenda Tambatamba, have taken the same covenant and I know all UPND (MPs) have the same position. We have a covenant with the Zambian people that we shall defend the Constitution and so we did take note that we did not go to the NDF and with that we are saying, we shall not vote for that constitutional amendment,” said Tambatamba in a separate interview.