LET there be order in this country, says NDC vice-president Josephs Akafumba.
Akafumba says the PF are deliberately confusing President Edgar Lungu’s eligibility with Article 106 which talks of a Vice-President who assumes the presidency after the demise of a head of state.
Commenting on chief Cooma’s statement that President Lungu and UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema should be allowed to stand in 2021 because they are both Zambians, Akafumba said not all Zambians are eligible to contest for the office of the President.
“There is an exemption clause that if you have held office twice you are not eligible. Separate it from term of office, holding office means being sworn in. Now the PF are deliberately confusing it with Article 106 which talks of a Vice-President who assumed office having been a running mate and no elections were held. But in President Lungu’s case he went through two elections, so how can anyone argue that he has not held office twice and bring in the issue of a term of office?” Akafumba asked.
He advised Cooma to seek guidance before he speaks on issues he is not conversant with.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to respond to His Royal Highness. The Constitution says you must be 35 years and above, so you can’t just say I am a Zambian and I must stand. Chief Cooma should not show bias and support illegality, he is supporting illegality,” he said.
And Akafumba said the Constitutional Court order cannot be appealed.
“So my advice is let there be order in this country and they must pay, especially those who are serving as ministers in the current PF Cabinet. They must be the first to pay to show respect to court. If they don’t it will trickle down to the ordinary man on the street and the courts will be rendered irrelevant because a minister did not pay,” he said. “We know that the PF have a record of not following court orders. That is their track record because they are already quarreling with the ConCourt on the eligibility of President Edgar Lungu when they know very well that the ConCourt never addressed that issue. So let us not allow them to extend this to the latest court order that they pay within 30 days for their illegal stay in office.”
Akafumba said the rule of law demands that a court order must be obeyed unless it is set aside.
“So for anyone to stand on an anthill and say I won’t pay is the worst contempt anyone can think of,” said Akafumba.