We are ready to defeat and retire GBM in by-elections-PF

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary-general Davies Chama says the ruling party is ready to defeat and retire former Kasama Central member of Parliament Geoffrey Mwamba in the by-election.
And Mr Mwamba says he has accepted the nullification of the Kasama Central seat by Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini.
Mr Chama said in an interview yesterday that the PF has welcomed Mr Mwamba’s acceptance of the nullification of the parliamentary seat he held.

 

He said he is also hopeful that Mr Mwamba will also withdraw the injunction from court and instead opt to “settle the matter” with the PF by contesting the parliamentary by-election on the United Party for National Development (UPND) ticket.

 

“We are happy that he has accepted and we welcome this.That is as it should be. And he should have done this sometime back. I am praying that he does not chicken out but contest the seat under the UPND where he is vice-president. We will meet him there in Kasama where the ground is set and we are fully prepared for him, we want to retire him,” Mr Chama said.

 

Speaking on a special programme on Radio Mano on Tuesday, Mr Mwamba said he is ready to re-contest his seat on the UPND ticket and win it.
He dared the people of Kasama that he is ready to contest another parliamentary seat in Lusaka if he is not re-elected.
Mr Mwamba said he cannot claim to be a member of the PF because the Speaker has ruled that the seat is vacant.

 

He said he had enjoyed being a PF member but will now campaign for the UPND in the 2016 general elections.
Meanwhile, the PF has filed a notice in the Lusaka High Court to discontinue the case against Mr Mwamba’s refusal to resign despite joining another political party.

 

The ruling party says it has been compelled to stop the matter because Dr Matibini declared Mr Mwamba’s parliamentary seat vacant on Tuesday.
Mr Chama sued Mr Mwamba in the matter.
The PF’s decision to stop the proceedings are contained in a notice of discontinuance of action signed by PF legal counsel Tutwe Ngulube filed in the Lusaka High Court on Tuesday.

 

“Take note that the plaintiff in the matter herein wholly discontinues the proceedings and applications against the defendant in the matter herein pursuant to the declaration of his seat vacant by a ruling of the Speaker of the National Assembly on July 28, 2015 at 14:30 hours,” Mr Ngulube said.

 

He said proceeding to hear the matter will be rendered an academic exercise because the matter has been overtaken by Dr Matibini’s ruling.
High Court judge Mwiinde Siavwapa had ordered an inter parte hearing of the case and it was scheduled for tomorrow.
Dr Matibini’s ruling was based on a point of order raised by Minister of Home Affairs Davies Mwila who wanted to find out whether Mr Mwamba was in order to accept a top position in UPND but maintain his PF parliamentary seat.

 

On July 22, Mr Mwamba officially joined the UPND and was appointed vice-president for administration but refused to relinquish his PF seat.
This prompted Mr Chama to take legal action against Mr Mwamba, arguing that he had violated Article 71(2) (C) of the Constitution.

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