….as PF salutes Judiciary for NOT bowing to pressure
FIMBA UPOKE, Lubinda tells UPND
….as PF salutes Judiciary for NOT bowing to pressure
Lusaka……13th September, 2022 (SMART EAGLES).
ULYA WINE AFIMBE APOKE, Patriotic Front – PF Party Acting President Hon Given Lubinda has told the UPND.
Hon Lubinda said this following the decision by the High Court to grant Hon. Bowman Chilosha Lusambo and Hon Joseph Malanji, a stay for the Kabushi and Kwacha by-elections NOT to proceed on Thursday.
The decision by the High Court will definitely cut short President Hakainde Hichilema’s five day working Visit on the Copperbelt which he has used to campaign for his unpopular candidates in the two Constituencies.
And Hon Lubinda has questioned the prudence of President Hichilema to go and campaign for five days in Kwacha and Kabushi when he knew that the matter was before the court.
He has wondered if the business of state craftsman has become too busy for President Hichilema that he can start chasing after Hon Lusambo and Hon Malanji who are not on the ballot using state resources to campaign against the duo.
Hon Lubinda has however said the reason for pursuing the matter in court was not about HON Malanji or Hon Lusambo being on the ballot paper but ensuring that Injustice was fought.
The PF acting President has therefore commended the party members for standing by the decision to maintain the duo despite various statements from some named civil Society Organisations and government officials that the party must find other candidates.
He said never shall any dictator decide on which candidate must be fielded on the ballot papers by opposition political parties.
“Hakainde Hichilema did not want us to have malanji and Lusambo on the ballot papers, but we have shown him that using the law of the land, he can not do it,” he said.
And Hon Lubinda has castigated the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) for quickly Printing ballot papers without the involvement of stakeholders.
He has since advised the ECZ against being used by a political hand.
“The money ECZ used to print ballot papers is tax payers money. What gave you the speed to go ahead and print ballot papers without stakeholders being involved. President Hakainde you have been telling the entire world that you are going to be Government by the rule of law. Rule of law also entails that the ECZ must be autonomous,” he said.
Hon Lubinda has assured President Hichilema that the weight of Bulldozer and Bonanza he wanted to avoid will fall on him like a tonne of bricks once the duo is given a green light to campaign.
He said the Zambians will turn up in numbers to show that they do not want a dictator.
Meanwhile, Hon Lubinda has heaped praise on the Judiciary for NOT bowing to pressure from the executive arm of Government.
“There is no doubt in my mind that there were putting pressure on you. The evidence was seen when the Minister of Justice, came to court and sat as if he was an official of the court. ….As Minister of Justice, you suprintend on the justice of everybody. On that day, the Minister of Justice decided to go against the rights of Lusambo and Malanji by sending a Minister to go and sit together with the attorney Generals Chambers. He has no power to do that,” he said.
“We are happy that we still have some judges who hold their oath of office as an important oath. We will always respect the Judiciary unlike what Mr Hakainde Hichilema used to do,” he said.