All PF MPs want to be Ministers – Lungu

President Lungu addressing PF MPs

All the 80 elected Patriotic Front Members of Parliament (MP) have applied to be appointed as Ministers in the new cabinet to be constituted by President Edgar Lungu.

President Lungu disclosed this today when he held a meeting with all the PF members of Parliament at State House. He urged the MPs to realise that he has prerogative to chose who should belong to his cabinet

He advised those who will not be appointed to understand.

And President Lungu said he does not know whether he is supposed to appoint 30 Ministers or 40 Ministers.

President Lungu said some clauses of the constitution provides that only 30 Ministers can be appointed while other clauses provides otherwise hence the need for proper interpretation before making appointments.

He noted that the Constitutional Court still has a lot of work to do in order to interpret the constitution on the appointment of Cabinet and province Ministers.

“I don’t know how many of you have read they constitution, that document still remains challenging for many of us, for example I don’t know whether I am supposed to appoint 30 Ministers or 40 Ministers because in one part the constitution says there shall be provincial Ministers without specifying the number and that’s a stand-alone clause, ” he pointed out.

“The other clause says I can appoint up to 30 Ministers. I will interpret the law the way I understand it, of course with support from state house staff and the chambers of the attorney General, ” said President Lungu.

“So you can help us as you go to parliament to fine tune some of these loose constitution provisions so that we can come up with a coherent document for an ordinary man on the street. But for me I understand the constitution that I can appoint up to thirty cabinet and provincial Ministers and cabinet is defined but I am luck that there is an overlap that I can invite people to cabinet so I will be inviting provincial Ministers to come and sit in cabinet with us,” he stated.

The head of state also disclosed that he is still studying the provision of the constitution on the appointment of Ministers.

And President Lungu urged the PF MPs to read and understand the Zambian constitution before going to parliament because the amended document has a number of new articles that need comprehension.

The President said the purpose of the caucus meeting was to ensure that PF MPs blend and interact before going to parliament.