Samakai parries HH anti-Bill 7 vote allegation
By George Zulu
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema’s allegation that I voted against Bill 7 is not true, says former Mwinilunga UPND member of Parliament Newton Samakai.
Breaking the silence ever since Hichilema told the people of North-western Province that Samakai, Gary Nkombo, Elias Mubanga and Dr Elijah Muchima worked against his directive by not voting for Bill 7, he said the President was wrong.
In a statement, Samakai said the allegations that he voted against Bill 7 were wrong, describing them as one of the saddest moments of his political life.
He warned that if the accusations were not challenged risked destroying his political career.
Samakai said he supported Bill 7 and challenged those accusing him of voting against the controversial constitutional amendment bill to release the official voting records.
“As per Lunda custom, which I am proud of, we do not over-explain ourselves when elders insist on something we know is not correct. You keep quiet not because you are guilty, but as a sign of reverence. That is what I have been doing since this suspicious incident occurred,” he said.
Samakai said he had deliberately remained silent for weeks out of respect for elders and party leadership.
He insisted that he voted for Bill 7, wondering why official voting results had not been publicly released to vindicate him.
Among the concerns raised were the differences between what Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti announced and what was being communicated by party officials.
He wondered why the attention was focused on him and a few others while little information had been provided about the other five MPs implicated in voting against the bill.
“People need to know who these five are because this has become a governance issue and not merely a political issue targeted at me. As far as I know, I voted yes in favour of Bill 7. Does asking for an interrogation of the system amount to disloyalty?” Samakai wondered.
He said he was still loyal to Hichilema despite the allegations against him.
Despite pressure from supporters to contest as an independent candidate after he was not adopted by the party, he had chosen to remain loyal to the President and the ruling party.
While in Solwezi recently, Hichilema named Nkombo, Muchima, Mubanga and Samakayi as individuals who voted against the bill, describing them as disloyal.
