The Patriotic Front (PF) says it is saddened by some stakeholders who are alleging that President Lungu and the party is not committed to the peace pledge that was recently signed at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
PF Media Director Antonio Mwanza says the party has noted with concern that Fr. Chikoya is trying to tarnish the image of President Lungu and present a distorted position that the PF is not committed to peace because the head of state was not physically present during the signing ceremony.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mwanza explained that President Lungu had assigned the party Secretary General Davies Mwila who is the Chief Executive Officer of the party and had sufficient mandate to sign on behalf of the party.
“As everybody is aware that His Excellency is not only president of Patriotic Front but is the President of the Republic of Zambia and thus every day he has assignments that are sometimes beyond him in terms of being in two places at the same time,” Mwanza said.
“We know that the President during the same period that we were having the signing ceremony was swearing in Judges at State House, ” he added.
Meanwhile, Mwanza said the Patriotic Front is dismayed with the behavior of UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema towards Paul Moonga who is a Member of the PF Central Committee.
Mwanza disclosed that Hichilema allegedly confronted Moonga for supporting PF when Chishimba Kambwili was allegedly insulting Tonga’s.
The PF Media Director said it unfortunate that a leader who wants to rule Zambia can reduce political discourse to tribal differences.
“We don’t believe that Moonga should support PF based on his tribe or that Moonga should support UPND based on his tribe but we believe that according to Hakainde, his thinking is that every Tonga speaking person must belong to UPND,” Mwanza said.
The PF Media Director charged that it is regrettable that Hichilema is trying to force all Tonga speaking people to belong to UPND.
Mwanza stated that the PF believes that the people of Southern Province and any other Province in the country have the right to belong to a political party of their choice.
And Mwanza reiterated that President Lungu has every right as head of state to visit each and every facility, constituency and district to get first hand information on how people are living.