By Scoop Reporter
ADDED to a plethora of resignations by its councilors, the United Party for National Development (UPND) has suffered another huge setback after their chairperson for labour, Gabriel Namulambe yesterday ditched the party.
Mr. Namulambe served as Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Mpongwe Member of Parliament from 2006 to 2011 before switching camp to the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
Mr. Namulambe contested the consequent by-election, this time under the PF and won the Parliamentary by-election with a sweeping victory with a margin of 1,531 votes as he garnered 4,600 votes while his closest rival, UPND’s Rapson Chilufya, got 3, 069 votes.
Before the 2016 general elections, Mr. Namulambe, while serving as PF MP, ditched the ruling party and joined the UPND, together with his then Kafue counterpart, Obvious Mwaliteta, as well as former Mkaika MP, David Phiri and Judge Ngoma, who was security detail to former president Michael Sata.
But Mr. Namulambe yesterday quit the UPND on grounds that that the party has refused to support Bill 10 which he says is progressive and that he, personally, has no reason not to support the bill which the UPND is rejecting.
He says the UPND asked him to apologise for supporting Bill 10 but says he could not apologise because he saw nothing wrong with the bill but instead opted out.
“Since they have told me to apologise for the statement I made on Bill 10, I have opted to remain with the Zambian people who are in support of Bill 10. I have read the Bill, it is unfortunate that some MPs walk out without debating the Bill,” Mr. Namulambe said.
“As former Member of Parliament in Mpongwe, I want to see Bill 10 pass because it will ensure that the rural constituencies on the Copperbelt such as Mpongwe, Lufwanyama and Masaiti are realigned to create more constituencies.
“If they are copying from Malawi and think they can win here in Zambia with this selfishness we wish them well,” Mr. Namulambe said.
