Parliament proceedings were again suspended yesterday morning just after meeting for 16 minutes following the re-emergence of the issue of condition of service of the lawmakers.
Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe and the Parliament Welfare Committee were told to meet again to resolve the issue.
The Members of Parliament (MPs) stirred by the motion tabled by Chitipa South legislator, Werani Chilenga, asked Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Esther Mcheka Chilenje, to suspend the deliberations until the issue is resolved.
“I beg to move that all relevant standing orders be waived in order to allow this House to be suspended
until the Minister of Finance and Parliament fully conclude standing issues concerning the conditions of service for Members of Parliament,” he said.
The matter also stirred controversy two weeks ago when the lawmakers vowed to sabotage budget as one way of forcing government to honour their entitlements which include an emergency loan of K1 million, car loan and other allowances.
The matter seemed to have been resolved when government last week agreed to provide the loans with a 27 percent interest loan, a development which did not go well with the MPs.
But Thursday’s development seemed to give Gondwe hard time to convince the House on what had been discussed with the committee in their previous meetings
“Following what the Leader of Opposition said that the matter be settled out, we therefore met and agreed on the following that the government is agreeable to implementing all the condition of service of members of Parliament…,” he said.
But the MPs seemed not convinced insisting on the suspension of the House.
Gondwe, however, described the MPs action as a ploy to delay budget since the matter was agreed to be settled out of the chamber.
Leader of the House, George Chaponda, said he was under the impression that the issues had been resolved considering the meetings held between the two parties.
“According to the Finance Minister, he had signed for the issue concerning the General Purpose Fund (GPF). The figure of K3 million has to be paid as a loan to each individual member’s bank with a 27 percent interest. But I am going to meet the Speaker and the Minister of Finance to map the way forward,” he said.
Chaponda expressed disappointment saying this is a crucial period where matters of the national interest should be put at the fore other than individual gains.
But chairperson of the Social Welfare Parliamentary Committee, Alex Major, who also chairs the committee, tasked to look into the matter, dismissed the allegations of plotting to shoot down budget.
“We cannot sit here and suspend the House for nothing. There is something that is happening that we want to be addressed. We have a programme here in Parliament and today it is private members’ bills day. To say we are sabotaging budget here it’s out of question,” he said
Major, however, said members had agreed to resume deliberations in the afternoon.
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