GBM refuses to relinquish seat,as Speaker determines his fate

Newly appointed UPND Vice President Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba says he will not relinquish his Kasama Central parliamentary seat following his move to join the opposition UPND.

Mr. Mwamba told a media briefing in Lusaka this afternoon that for as long as opposition MPs working with the PF government do not quit their parliamentary seats, he will also not relinquish his position.

Mr. Mwamba, popularly known as GBM, says there a number of UPND and MMD MPs who are currently working with the PF even campaigning for the ruling party and that he sees nothing wrong with him working with the UPND while still remaining a PF MP.

He has since assured Zambians that he will not cause any by-election by quitting as Kasama Central PF MP saying it is tax payers’ money that is wasted in by-election.

And Mr Mwamba says late President Michael Sata is weeping in his grave to see his hard fought for political party being handed to the people who never fought for it.

He says the late President would whip them if he had to come back.

Speaking earlier, UPND President Hakainde Hichilema says the appointment of Mr. Mwamba and others have the blessings of the UPND National Management Committee (NMC) contrary to some online reports.

Mr. Hichilema has stated that the only leadership that can save the country’s economy from collapsing is that of the UPND.

Meanwhile Speaker of the National Assembly has reserved ruling on the fate of PF Kasama Central Member of Parliament Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba in parliament following his appointment as UPND Vice President.

The Speaker has also reserved ruling on a similar point of order regarding the status of UPND members of Parliament serving in the PF Government and have been campaigning for the ruling party during by-elections.

Home Affairs Minister Davies Mwila rose on a point of order seeking the Speaker’s ruling whether it was in order for Mr Mwamba to continue sitting in Parliament when he had resigned to join the UPND.

Mr Mwila said this is especially that the constitution states that if a member of parliament decides to join another political party he immediately loses the seat.

And UPND Monze Central MP Jack Mwiimbu rose on a counter point of order asking the Speaker whether it was in order for the UPND Members of Parliament serving in the PF Government to continue serving as UPND MPs when the previous Speaker of the National Assembly had ruled that any MP who crosses the floor loses his/her seat.

The Speaker has since reserved ruling on the two points of order.