Two parliamentarians from the United People’s Movement (UPM), Jan van Wyk and Frans Bertolini, have been removed from parliament and replaced by Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) members Katrina Benz and Loide Iipinge.
Benz and Iipinge were sworn in as parliamentarians on Wednesday morning.
The move follows a request from PDM secretary general Manuel Ngaringombe asserting that UPM’s recent alliance with the National Empowerment Fighting Corruption party and their endorsement of independent presidential candidate Ally Angula violated an agreement signed between the two parties in 2019.
Ngaringombe alleged that the alliance, which according to him remains in effect until 21 March 2025, prohibits such actions.
Ngaringombe added that the PDM considered UPM’s actions an “egregious violation” of the agreement.
The UPM, however, has rejected the PDM’s claims, saying the PDM’s interpretation of the agreement disregards the UPM’s contributions to the success of the 2019 alliance.
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