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Barely 24 hours after Patriotic Front (PF) Acting President Given Lubinda expelled Members of Parliament who voted in favour of Constitution Amendment Bill No. 7, the party’s Copperbelt Provincial Chairperson, Stardy Mwale, has resigned.
Mwale announced his resignation in Kitwe on Friday, citing concerns over the expulsion of MPs from the province who were supported and sponsored by the party.
The former Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary, who has been a PF member since 2001, said he could not remain in office while decisions affecting the province were made without consultation.
Mwale expressed disappointment with the party leadership, stating that the expulsions were carried out without the involvement of the Copperbelt province or full consultation of the Central Committee.
“I cannot stand where my Members of Parliament could be expelled from the party… without consulting the province where they’re held from,” he said.
He thanked party members who worked with him, saying he did not take their support lightly, and disclosed that he would consult his family before announcing his next political move.
Mwale accused the party leadership of heavy-handedness, warning that the PF was losing touch with its grassroots, particularly in the Copperbelt, which has traditionally been a stronghold of the party.
He also extended an olive branch to the expelled MPs, urging them not to feel discouraged.
Read More: PF expels lawmakers who voted in favour of controversial Bill 7
“My doors are open,” Mwale said, adding that the MPs should not feel “useless” or as though they “never contributed anything to the party’s wellbeing.”
“They should not feel sublime. They should not feel like they never contributed anything. I will go to my family, reflect and I will chart the way forward in the coming few days,” he said.
Earlier, PF Acting President, Given Lubinda, had announced the expulsion of MPs who voted in favour of the controversial Bill No. 7, accusing them of defying party instructions.
Lubinda alleged that the affected MPs had entered into a bargain with the ruling UPND to keep the division list secret.
He said the party had, however, identified those who voted against a directive issued a day before the vote.
“We know who sat in that chamber and we know how those in the chamber voted,” Lubinda said.
Lubinda further questioned why Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Muti had not authorised the release of the division list, which remains withheld despite calls for transparency.
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