Caritus Zambia wary over lifting on RB’s immunity

Caritus  Zambia wary over lifting on RB’s immunity

Chipata, March 26, 2013..ZANIS— CARITUS Zambia in Chipata says it is worried with the manner at which the  lifting of Presidential immunity is done in the country.

 

Governance Programmes Coordinator, John Zulu, says that as much as it was known that the lifting of Presidential immunity was constitutional,  his organisation was worried that the issue could be used to settle scores by political leaders.

 

ZANIS in Chipata District  reports that Mr. Zulu said this in an interview in Chipata, this morning.

 

Mr. Zulu said government needed to make consultations from the public before tabling the matter before parliament.

 

He asked whether the country needed the current law of lifting Presidential immunity, adding that, it was happening for the second time in the country’s history.

 

Mr. Zulu observed that if the law was needed, it should be amended in the constitution so that immunity seizes immediately a Republican President leaves office.

 

He noted that there was also need to allow for the formulating of another law that would not allow appointments of Members of Parliament from opposition Political Parties, alleging that they were always manipulated when it can to lifting of immunity of former Presidents in parliament.

 

‘’ In the constitution, the law should change so that immunity ends immediately one leaves the Presidential office and the appointment of Ministers from opposition Political Parties is affecting the current provision of the law because this is the precedence coming through,’’ Mr. Zulu said.

 

He said the opposition Members of Parliament were supposed to provide checks and balances in parliament, adding that, a lot of them have been appointed into Ministerial positions and could not serve two masters at a time.

 

‘’ If the lifting of immunity should continue, then we need to change the law that allows for appointment of opposition Members of Parliament into Ministerial positions so that their job is just to provide checks and balances in parliament.

“  Those that are appointed are brainwashed and support any move made by the ruling party,’’ Mr. Zulu said.

 

Recently, former Republican President, Rupiah Banda, had his immunity removed by parliament so that he could answer allegations of abuse of office from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

 

Mr. Banda has since appeared in the Lusaka Magistrate court.