Kambwili loses Roan seat, says will not fight Speaker’s decision
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Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matabini has declared the Roan Constituency parliamentary seat held by Chishimba Kambwili vacant.
This follows a point of order raised by Malambo MP Makebi Zulu last week, asking the Speaker if Kambwili was in order to be in parliament as PF Roan Member of Parliament when he made a public announcement that he is leader of NDC.
The Speaker’s ruling means a by-election will be held in Roan Constituency in the next 90 days.
Kambwili had earlier revealed that his State House sources had informed him that his seat would be declared vacant today.
The former Information Minister says he will not contest or put up any legal fight against the Speaker’s decision but will instead go back to the people of roan so that they can choose their leader once again.
Kambwili explained that he had tried to avoid a costly by-election in Roan for the sole reason that the people of roan gave him a five-year mandate.
Below is what Kambwili wrote on his Facebook page prior to the Speaker’s ruling.
“Good afternoon fellow country people.
I have been reliably informed by my state house sources that my roan parliamentary seat will be declared vacant today. I have tried to avoid a costly bye election in roan for the sole reason that the people of roan gave me a 5 year mandate in 2016 and being a responsible and genuine leader I tried to make sure a bye election is avoided. notwithstanding the fact that this is the farming season I would have preferred those residents continue making a livelihood rather than start participating in a bye election which is totally unnecessary and will surely disturb the little they are making.
As a result of internal pressure and in the name of dirty politics pressure authorities and the powers that be have failed to withstand and this afternoon I am reliably informed that the speaker will declare roan constituency vacant. Fellow colleagues this was the stunt that Mwenya Musenge was contracted to pull off, Musenge was called upon to cause confusion and disruption in exchange for favor or whatever he was promised. Ordinarily I would go to court again because there is no fact in the allegation of crossing the floor, however I am only human and there’s only so much you can fight for, besides my I believe my works and commitment to the betterment of my constituency are security enough to enter the battlefield.
If there is any such declaration today, I would like to announce that I will not contest or put up any legal fight against the vacant declaration, instead we will go back to the people of roan so that they can chose their leader once again. I know of all the sufferings of the people of roan constituency and I have tried to avoid a bye election but state house would not allow bye election to go amiss.
To the people of roan I say thank you for according me the opportunity to serve you diligently, I strongly believe the strong ties and bond we have built in the last 13 years is reason enough for you to chose wisely. Despite the grave inconvenience your chance has come albeit unnecessarily to once again select a leader to represent you in parliament. We will go back to roan constituency and ask them the same question we have asked in the past elections, we are ready to battle for the roan seat because we have all the confidence in the people and our works.
God bless you all.”