By Tony Nkhoma
TRANSPARENT International Zambia (TI-Z) has described the decision by United Party for National Development (UPND) members of Parliament and ministers to deliberately collapse the quorum and avoid debating a matter of critical national importance in the House as deeply regrettable.
Chief executive officer Maurice Nyambe said in an interview yesterday the behaviour raised serious concerns about the lawmakers’ commitment to addressing the pressing issues affecting the Zambian people.
“We have noted with concern the walkout by UPND members of Parliament from the National Assembly during a debate on the high cost of living, as raised by Lunte MP Mutotwe Kafwaya on February 19th, 2025,’’ Nyambe said.
He said government’s decision to prioritise discussions on non-urgent matters over economic issues affecting majority of Zambians had raised legitimate concerns.
Nyambe said the rising cost of living was an urgent issue that affected millions of Zambians, particularly low-income households, traders and farmers, who were struggling to afford basic necessities.
He said government should at all cost provide concrete and urgent policy responses to alleviate the high cost of living, which he said remained a major concern for the Zambian people.
Nyambe urged government and all MPs regardless of political affiliation to place the interests of the people above partisan considerations.
He said the lawmakers’ conduct undermined the integrity of the National Assembly and weakened public confidence in the government’s willingness to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Nyambe said it was the primary role of MPs to represent the interests of their constituents and engage in meaningful parliamentary discourse that sought to find solutions to national challenges.
“When UPND MPs chose to walk out instead of engaging in meaningful debate, they not only failed in their duty but also sent a worrying message that economic hardships faced by Zambians are not a priority,” Nyambe said.
He said even though ruling party MPs might disagree with the way the motion was framed or presented, parliamentary democracy demanded that they remained in the House, debate the issues and offer counterarguments or solutions rather than simply avoiding the discussion altogether.
Nyambe said walking out of debates did not resolve the crisis.
Instead, it reinforced perceptions of political arrogance and insensitivity to the struggles of ordinary citizens.
“We therefore call on the UPND lawmakers to recommit themselves to the principles of good governance and accountability by ensuring that Parliament remains a platform for constructive engagement on national matters,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nyambe says TI-Z will continue to monitor government accountability, public resource management and parliamentary engagement to ensure leaders remained answerable to the citizens they served.
