Tayali gives State 7-day ultimatum to recover Lungu’s benefits
ECONOMIC and Equity Party leader Chilufya Tayali has asked government to stop paying former president Edgar Lungu his retirement benefits until he states his position on whether he is engaged in active politics or not.
Tayali has given government a seven-day ultimatum to reclaim all the money paid to Lungu as part of his retirement package for participating in politics after he tumbled in the presidential race and his resignation as captain of the sunken PF boat.
According to a letter addressed to the Attorney general Mulilo Kabesha by Tayali’s lawyer Joseph Chirwa dated October 4, 2023, the EEP leader is aggrieved that the office of the Secretary to the Cabinet is promoting an illegality by paying Lungu when he has trashed his statesmanship.
“The office of the secretary to the cabinet has failed to discharge its duties as it has continued to facilitate an illegality in contravention with the Act on benefits of former Presidents,” Chirwa said.
“Our client is of the firm view that this amounts either to dereliction of duty and/or breach of statutory duty as the law is clear that Former Presidents who are politically active should not access their benefits.”
Tayali said Lungu’s participation in politics after his resignation as PF president in 2021, has been confirmed by several members of the PF central committee that he is still party president as they did not accept his resignation.
“The said MCCs have insisted that Lungu was and is still Party President for the PF. Judicial notice may also be had that in defence to several suits against the current top PF leadership, the PF has insisted that there is no vacancy in the office of the party president as Lungu was and is still its President until he hands over power at its (PF)elective General Conference,” Chirwa said.
“In the same vein, our client insists that entries at the office of the Registrar of Societies in respect to the leadership of the PF remain unchanged and show that Lungu was and is still Party President. This is corroborative evidence supporting the statements by MCCs individually and severally as a Central Committee that President Lungu was and is still PF President.”
He further stated that submissions in court documents in litigation involving the PF also indicated that Lungu is still steering the PF boat.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba
