The Patriotic Front (PF) government has been challenged to state its position on the demands for a pay rise by Members of Parliament (MPs).
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) that has made the challenge to government says it finds it particularly surprising and unfortunate that government and the leadership of the ruling party itself have remained mute on the demands by some parliamentarians.
FODEP Executive Director Macdonald Chipenzi says this is especially that there is sprawling poverty in the country besides the imposed 2-year employment and wage freeze on civil servants.
Chipenzi notes that his organization expected parliamentarians to demand for the lifting of the employment and wage freeze on civil servants before advancing such demands.
Chipenzi however says his organization applauds the leadership of the opposition MMD, NAREP, UPND and PF Matero MP Miles Sampa for disagreeing with the parliamentarians on the demand for a pay-rise.
He says the opposition leaders and Mr. Sampa’s position to disagree with the MPs has shown great leadership on this matter and that people in the country expect the ruling PF and government itself to follow suit.
The FODEP Executive Director says this is because the file and rank of the ruling PF have been crusaders of applying the limited public resources equitably with the view of improving social services to people hence their silence on the demand is suspicious of their commitment to this crusade.
He says it is for this reason that his organization challenges the PF government to state its position on the matter as its silence has the potential to raise serious public speculations and that government and the ruling party both risk being accused of propping the parliamentarians’ demands.
Chipenzi has also appealed to members of the public not to demonize MMD Mafinga MP for raising the matter in parliament because without her the nation would not have known that there were such intentions by MPs.
Source: Qfm
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