DO NOT DRAG PRESIDENT HICHILEMA IN TERM LIMIT DEBATE, HE IS FOCUSED ON DELIVERING DEVELOPMENT TO ZAMBIANS, STATE HOUSE PLEADS

DO NOT DRAG PRESIDENT HICHILEMA IN TERM LIMIT DEBATE, HE IS FOCUSED ON DELIVERING DEVELOPMENT TO ZAMBIANS, STATE HOUSE PLEADS

State House Chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka says President Hakainde Hichilema has no time to waste on the ongoing debate on the removal of the presidential term limit from the Constitution because he is preoccupied with delivering development and lifting citizens out of poverty.

In a statement issued today, Sunday, Mr Hamasaka said President Hichilema would not give credence to the debate by commenting on it as some people were pressuring him to do.

Hamasaka said Hichilema was focused on addressing pressing national challenges and implementing his development agenda and would not be distracted by thunproductive debate on the presidential  term limit.

“This debate is coming from the citizens… The people themselves who are happy with the prudent manner in which President Hichilema is running the affairs of the country and has nothing to do with the head of state. So why should he be dragged into it?” Hamasaka said

Mr. Hamasaka said the debate was being driven by citizens who were satisfied with the manner in which President Hichilema was managing the country’s affairs, and had nothing to do with the head of state.

“Those wanting to drag the President into this debate just want to distract him from his present focus on driving the Grow Zambia Agenda which will bring unprecedented development to the country and lift our citizens out of poverty,” Mr Hamasaka said.

He described as unfair and malicious demands by some people that the President stop a debate he did not begin or influence.

Mr. Hamasaka appealed that President Hichilema should be allowed to work because he was preoccupied with pressing national issues, including the effects of El Niño, and ensuring that no Zambian died of hunger while the country remained food and energy secure.

Mr. Hamasaka said the stability and wellbeing of citizens were important to the President, who was determined to achieve the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 core targets outlined in his economic blueprint, the ambitious Grow Zambia Agenda.

He condemned attempts to drag President Hichilema into the debate on the removal of presidential term limits as political mischief, questioning what those raising the issue expected the head of state to say.

“What do these people want President Hichilema to say? When he speaks, they are the same people who will stand on the mountain and claim that he does not want people to speak out on national issues. That he is shrinking the democratic space. That he is curtailing free speech by joining the debate. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too,” Mr. Hamasaka said.

Mr. Hamasaka said it would be dictatorial for the head of state to unilaterally curtail the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms for citizens to freely express themselves on matters of interest to themselves.

He, however, maintained that Hichilema would continue to uphold the Constitution as he had always done because he wanted to govern the country in accordance with the rule of law.

Hamasaka urged Zambians to unite and support Hichilema’s Grow Zambia Agenda, saying the country needed collective effort to achieve its development aspirations.

The debate on the removal of the presidential term limit from the Constitution continues to rage with some United Party for National Development (UPND) supporters, including nominated members of Parliament (MPs) the mixed member proportional representation petitioning Parliament to begin the process.

The proponents cite Hichilema’s good performance and economic vision for the country.

But there are a number of organisations and individuals, including opposition leaders, clergy and civil society, who have been fiercely opposing the proposal to remove the presidential term limits warning it has the potential to erode the country’s democracy.

Currently, the Constitution limits the tenure of office for the president to two five-year terms after which one is not illegible to stand for the presidency again.