Lusaka — On Tuesday, Zambia’s parliament suspended 48 opposition legislators who boycotted President Edgar Lungu’s address to legislators in March to protest his contested electoral victory. The legislators from the United Party for National Development (UPND) skipped Lungu’s address claiming he was not the legitimate winner of the August 11 vote. Parliament speaker Patrick Matibini said they should quit if they did not accept Lungu as the head of state. "I challenge you to resign on moral grounds if you do not recognise that there is a legitimately elected government," Matibini said in parliament. "I have, in exercise of my powers, decided to suspend the 48 members of parliament from service for a period of 30 days with effect from today." Matabini said that the lawmakers will not be paid or have access to the parliament building or lodgings during their suspension. He also called for police to investigate the UPND’s leader, Hakainde Hichilema, on allegations of insulting the offic...
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