Members of Parliament showed a little shame toward their decision to vote to increase their salaries when Kalomo United Party for National Development Member of Parliament Request Muntanga asked Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini to gag public debate on the matter.
Last week, MPs unanimously voted for an increase in their salaries when a motion moved by Lubansenshi Independent Member of Parliament Patrick Mucheleka was passed through unanimously by acclamation.
Muntanga rose on a point of order saying that the report by privately owned Radio Phoenix about the increase in salaries under the recommendations of the mobilization and reforms committee had cast the MPs in bad light.
He complained that the MPs had not yet increased their salaries hence the need to clarify.
During the motion presented by Mucheleka, Muntanga passionately put up a case for the upward adjustment of emoluments for MPs going as far as claiming that legislators even footed bills for dowry for constituents as they were believed to be rich.
Others that supported the motion were Kapembwa Simbao, Jonas Shakafuswa and Brian Chituwo.
When the question was put before the house there was no dissension from both sides with the matter referred to the mobilization and reforms committee for specifics as MPs “are not allowed to debate themselves.”
It was one of the rare moments MPs across the political divide were in agreement. Matibini reserved ruling on the matter saying it was important notwithstanding the increase will also benefit him.
The post Pay Rise Haunts MPs appeared first on Zambia Reports.
