National Dialogue Amendment Bill is illegal-HH

The UPND has instructed its Members of Parliament to vote against the National Dialogue Amendment Bill when it is taken to Parliament at Committee stage today.

And UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema said the opposition Alliance position on this proposal by President Edgar Lungu and his PF is that it is fraud and non inclusive and meant to abrogate Zambia’s democracy.

Mr. Hichilema said the Alliance is aware that this bill is meant to stifle freedoms such as freedom of association, assembly, expression and speech adsing that the Bill is also meant to illegally give President Edgar Lungu another 7 years as President of Zambia.

He said this proposed bill is illegal and as a people that want democracy to continue flourishing, the Alliance will not allow it to go ahead.

“In order to stop this illegal action by Mr Edgar Lungu and the PF as they dearly need numbers of members of parliament to pass this law, we have since held meetings with our members of parliament not to support such a bill meant to stifle people’s rights and our country’s democracy”, he added.

Mr. Hichilema however said Alliance partners remain committed to an open and church led dialogue which will encompass among other things electoral reforms, public order act, and all fundamental rights.

This article first appeared in the Lusaka Times. Read the original article here: https://www.lusakatimes.com/2019/03/27/national-dialogue-amendment-bill-is-illegal-hh/