The UPND has accused Western Province permanent secretary Augustine Seyuba of instructing all district commissioners in the province to attend Edgar Lungu’s rally in Mongu today.
But Seyuba dismissed as a lie claims that he had instructed Western Province district commissioners to attend Lungu’s campaign rally.
UPND deputy spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, said this would amount to abuse of public resources as the officials would travel from their respective districts using government vehicles.
Mweetwa raised a point of order in Parliament yesterday.
“Mr Speaker, this is not the only case of abuse of public resources. In Kitwe, when the PF were launching their campaigns, some ministers forced their transport officers to make their vehicles available for the Copperbelt rally. They even instructed that those that had GRZ number plates be removed. Are they in order to continue abusing public resources in their quest to stay in power? I need your ruling Mr Speaker,” he said.
But in his ruling, Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Patrick Matibini said the factual matters raised in the point of order had no proof.
He said the issue did not also fall under his jurisdiction.
“Thirdly, there is a body that has been mandated by the Constitution to supervise elections in Zambia and that is the Electoral Commission of Zambia,” Dr Matibini said, adding that those that were aggrieved could seek recourse there.
The Speaker’s ruling attracted loud cheers from members of the ruling PF.
Meanwhile, Seyuba in an interview said the only meeting he had called was a developmental meeting between district commissioners and the provincial minister slated for Monday.
“That is not true; that is a lie. Moreover, I am not even in Mongu,” he said. “The only meeting I know of is on Monday; it is a meeting to discuss the developmental projects in the various districts.”