There’s so much fear in HH, says Edgar Lungu

By Ernest Chanda

FORMER president Edgar Lungu says President Hakainde Hichilema is scared of losing elections hence his scheme to destroy the main opposition party, the PF.

On Wednesday, the National Assembly declared nine PF parliamentary seats vacant, a move that has attracted wide public condemnation.

Addressing journalists on Friday, Lungu who is also PF president said if President Hichilema were not scared of losing in 2026 he would not have embarked on destroying the country’s democracy.

Asked what could be motivating President Hichilema to embark on the ‘kill PF project’, Lungu responded: “…you have to know that there’s so much fear on the part of President HH. Fear arising from failure to deliver. When you compare and contrast, like I keep saying, his leadership and that of PF, it’s miles apart. Right. So he’s restless. If only he could deliver one tenth he would be sleeping pretty easy but he has failed lamentably. So this is what is causing all these things. And that’s why he even say ‘they’re regrouping, nalatampako imingalato’ (I will start playing tricks). It’s not surprising at all to some of us that he’s gone to this extent and he’s still going to go even further in trying to eradicate the PF. He knows that it’s only PF which can unseat him because Zambians have already measured him, tested him and tried him. And he has failed the test. So he has no peace, no reason for being in State House. That’s what is causing all this.”

And Lungu accused President Hichilema of executing a structured and coordinated campaign to destroy the principle of separation of powers among the three arms of government.

“For the past three years since President Hakainde Hichilema came into power we have seen a structured and coordinated campaign to undermine and erode the principle of separation of powers. Most stakeholders have factual stories of gross interference by the Executive into the Judiciary and Legislature. On Wednesday we saw our parliament making history by expelling nine Patriotic Front members of parliament,” Lungu said as the audience disapproved of parliament’s action. “As former president I can tell you that this gesture is the highest level of political brutality and unacceptable barbarism. Today, I join millions of Zambians to mourn the death of the principle of separation of powers in our country. The moment any of three wings of government, that is the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive, accept to be arbitrary abused or overthrown by the other then citizens must declare a national mourning for the funeral of the separation of powers.”

He denied ever having interfered with the separation of powers during his tenure.

“As everyone is aware I was president for the republic between 2015 to 2021. There was no time whatsoever that I called or met the Speaker of the National Assembly to instruct him, impose or arm-twist him because we in PF respected the principle of separation of powers. You can ask our former speaker Dr Patrick Matibini, State Counsel. He’s still alive today. Unfortunately, this type of respect for separation of powers we practiced under the Patriotic Front and the previous ruling parties has been washed away by this UPND government,” Lungu said. “From the time Mr Hakainde Hichilema took over the reigns of power, we have seen the integrity of parliament being undermined and eroded with political impunity. The respected office of Speaker has been abused to rubberstamp or endorse oppressive political actions against those perceived to be opponents of the ruling party or to be seen going against the will of the Executive. This has been done with impunity.”

Lungu challenged Zambians to stand up and fight the declaration of the nine PF parliamentary seats vacant.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if Zambia will not stand up to oppose and reject the illegal, immoral and unconstitutional expulsion of the nine Patriotic Front members of parliament then our citizens would have approved the brutal assassination of the separation of powers by the UPND government. So for our affected MPs, I feel your pain. And I feel your anguish because you were democratically elected to serve your people and the Zambians. I wish to promise here and commit myself to fight with you,” said Lungu. “We will do everything possible, both politically and legally to ensure that dictatorship does not take root in our country over democracy. And I also wish to point out here that as far as the law and democracy is concerned you are still our MPs and you’re going back to parliament in the name and spirit of the rule of law and democracy. Those of you who have had time to look at Article 72 of the Constitution will bear me witness that it’s not easy under our Constitution to dismiss a member of parliament in the manner done. So those at ECZ who are acting with impunity should know that Zambia is a country of laws and we are going to fight using those laws. Let’s join hands now to fight and defeat, and democratically crash this dictatorship called UPND government. If we don’t do that we’ll be crashed all of us.”