Zambia's parliament has declared vacant the seat held by the daughter of the late ex-President Edgar Lungu, because of her continued absence in the wake of his death.
Until her dismissal, Tasila Lungu had been the MP for Chawama constituency in the capital, Lusaka, representing the opposition Patriotic Front.
In a message to her voters, she hinted that she may try and challenge the decision saying, where there is a will there is a way.
In June, her father died at the age of 68 in South Africa, where he was seeking medical treatment. This sparked a bitter legal row with his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, who wanted to repatriate the body for a state funeral against the family's wishes.
Ms. Lungu has been attending court in South Africa, challenging an earlier ruling in August that sided with the wishes of Hichilema's government. The government had successfully argued in a Pretoria court that Hichilema must be allowed to attend the funeral as head of state, while the Lungu family asserts that the deceased instructed his wishes to stay private.
The former president's remains are still in South Africa as the impasse continues.
Action against her parliamentary seat first came from the ruling United Party for National Development. Brian Kambita MP questioned the speaker in July about whether Ms. Lungu was still qualified to hold office given her prolonged absence.
Speaker Nelly Mutti initially granted Ms. Lungu 14 days of compassionate leave to mourn her father and return to parliament when it resumed in September.
However, she did not return within the given time and instead requested additional time until her family's burial court case was resolved and asked to attend parliamentary sessions virtually.
The committee later suggested allowing her to represent her Chawama constituency online until her father's burial arrangements were concluded, but Ms. Mutti rejected that proposal.
The matter led to further debate in parliament, with independent MP Binwell Mpundu accusing the government of hypocrisy, questioning the timing and rationale behind their actions.
Despite Zambia holding a general election next August, elections for her seat are projected to occur within 90 days. The decision to declare her seat vacant has garnered mixed reactions, with advocates citing the need to mourn while critics point to the lack of representation for her constituents.
In her Facebook statement to constituents, Ms. Lungu expressed gratitude to her team for their dedication during this challenging period.
