By CHARITY MOONGA –

THE opposition has lost a private member’s motion to have the civil service wage freeze removed from the proposed 2015 National Budget.
After extensive debate, the opposition MPs’ proposal for Government to lift the wage freeze was shot down after a vote.
The motion was moved by Choma Central MP Cornelius Mweetwa, who urged the Government to lift the freeze imposed in the 2014 budget and was seconded MMD’s Chembe MP Mwansa Mbulakulima.
The opposition lost the motion by 31 votes after getting 50 votes against the ruling party’s 81.
In moving the motion, Mr Mweetwa called on Government to reconsider the move in vIew of the high cost of living because of high prices for commodities.
The waiving of subsidies on maize and fuel and contributed to this.
Monze Central MP Jack Mwimbu said it was illegal to impose the wage freeze.
Chipili PF MP Davis Mwila said it was not the duty of MPs to negotiate on behalf of the public service workers because they had unions who represented them ably.
Meanwhile, Katombora UPND MP Derick Livune was yesterday ejected from Parliament for passing running commentaries during debate.
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini sent away the law-maker for interrupting debate by Chikankata MP Munji Habeenzu.
The speaker was also at pains to guide Mr Habeenzu to desist from inappropriate debating.
While, debating the estimates of expenditure for the year 2015, Mr Habeenzu said Zambians regardless of their status should appreciate the role of circumcision in their lives as everyone, whether minister or MP, was still sexually active.
At this point Dr Matibini cautioned Mr Habeenzu to focus on the budget and avoid being presumptuous about issues.
Mr Habeenzu said the 2015 budget was rotten as long as it did not address the plight of farmers in the country and again the speaker reminded Mr Habeenzu that he had been in the House long enough to understand the word “rotten” was unparliamentary.