— FODEP ‘canes’ Namugala’s call for increased perks

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has applauded the leadership of the opposition for categorically disagreeing some parliamentarians’ demand for a pay-rise.

FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi says the opposition political party leadership and PF MP for Matero Constituency Miles Sampa’s stand against their parliamentarians’ call for increased salaries.

Mr. Chipenzi says the move by the political parties’ leadership has shown patriotism on this matter adding that Zambians expected the PF, as a political party and government, to follow-suit.

He said his organization instead expected parliamentarians to demand for the lifting of the employment and wage freeze on civil servants before advancing for their increased perks.

ZANIS reports that the FODEP Executive Director said this in a statement release in Lusaka today.

Mafinga Member of Parliament Catherine Namugala recently led calls in the house to consider raising MPs salaries due to increased pressure they face in their respective constituencies.

However, Mr. Chipenzi joined the rest of concerned members of the general public reaction on the matter saying it was surprising and unfortunate that the PF government has remained mute on the matter.

He stated that the PF file and rank have been crusaders of applying the limited public resources equitably in order to improve social services to all people hence their silence on the demand becomes suspicious of their commitment to the crusade.

Mr. Chipenzi has since challenged the PF government to come out and state its stand on the matter as its continued silence potential to raise serious public speculations.

He said the silence from government and PF as a political party was counterproductive on the debate especially that they hold the answer to the demands since they know how fat the government treasury is.

Mr. Chipenzi said this is because government has been quick at repelling citizens’ demands for a new people driven constitution on account that it has no money for the exercise but that the limited funds available were for poverty reduction and other social service delivery programmes.

He further challenged Government Chief Spokesperson Dr. Joseph Katema and the PF party leadership to tell the nation their positions respectively on the demands by parliamentarians for a pay-rise.

Mr. Chipenzi also appealed to the public not to demonize Mafinga Member of Parliament Catherine Namugala for raising the matter in parliament saying without her, the nation would not have known the intentions of parliamentarians.