By Mast Reporter
CHIPANGALI Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Andrew Lubusha and other lawmakers who campaigned for the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) in the just-ended Petauke Central parliamentary by-election face expulsion because they have technically defected, Emmanuel Mwamba has said.
Responding to a query from the United States (US) yesterday, Mwamba said Lubusha and the other MPs had already crossed the floor and had joined the UPND, which was a violation of the Constitution.
“It is clear that the members of Parliament that supported the candidature of the ruling party in the last by-election crossed the line and crossed the floor. They made it very clear that they will work with and support the UPND,” he said.
Mwamba said the public pronouncements of the lawmakers against their own party and its leadership was enough evidence for their ejection from the PF.
The party would act decisively against the ‘rebels’ to serve as a warning to others.
“Their own utterances disparaging the leadership of the party, their activities undermining the party, destroying our party structures in Petauke and Eastern Province demand that the party acts decisively,” Mwamba said.
He said despite losing four parliamentary seats since the UPND took over government in 2021, the PF remained resolute in its desire to actively participate in the country’s governance.
Mast: What does the victory in Petauke mean for PF as a party, Tonse Alliance and the opposition in general?
Mwamba: As affirmed by the central committee, the Patriotic Front will remain active and will continue working to strengthen its participation in political alliances.
Mast: The party has lost four seats since 2021: Kwacha, Kabushi, Pambashe and Kawambwa. How has this impacted the party?
Mwamba: This is concerning, but is a result of dedicated attacks against the party by the UPND. These setbacks are temporary and have helped identify those loyal to the principles and values of the party.
Lubusha, who used to be a very close friend of former Petauke Central MP Emmanuel ‘Jay’ Banda, openly campaigned for the UPND’s candidate, Severiano Lungu, and was a common sight at the ruling party’s public rallies where he passionately begged the people of Petauke to vote for the UPND candidate and heaped praises on President Hakainde Hichilema.
He was many times seen in the company of President Hichilema’s special assistant for political affairs Levy Ngoma, who had camped in the constituency for the entire campaign period.
On January 13, for example, Lubusha told the crowd at a UPND public rally that God had given the people of Petauke another chance to redeem themselves by voting for the ruling party’s candidate, Lungu.
At the same rally, Chasefu Independent MP Misheck Nyambose said he had chosen to work with Hichimela and the UPND to bring development to his constituency.
Meanwhile, Nkana Independent MP Binwell Mpundu says he will push for the declaration of the seats of independent MPs, including Lubusha, who openly campaigned for the UPND, a party which had not sponsored their 2021 candidature because they had literally crossed the floor (defected) in breach of the Constitution.
“For going to campaign for another political party that did not sponsor them, Andrew Lubusha, Elias Daka [Msanzala], Menyani Zulu [Nyimba] and Misheck Nyambose [Chasefu] actually crossed the floor [defected] and their seats must be declared vacant,” Mpundu wrote in a post on his Facebook page.
“I’m taking this matter to Parliament and court.”
Simon Banda, who stood on the National Congress Party (NCP) under the opposition Tonse Alliance.
