DEMOCRATIC Party president Harry Kalaba has cautioned that once those agitating for a third term for President Edgar Lungu gets it, they start calling for: “a fourth, fifth term.”
Kalaba featured on Nkani Yathu on Kwithu radio in Lusaka on Tuesday.
The programme was simultaneously being broadcast on Mafken radio (Mufulira), Liberty radio (Mporokoso) and K FM (Mansa).
Kalaba stressed that he was eligible to contest as President of Zambia next year.
“I’m sure other political parties, at their own time, will hold their intraparty elections [at the presidential level],” Kalaba said.
He explained that Article 60 (2d) of the Constitution of Zambia is instructive to political parties on promoting and practicing democracy, through regular, free and fair intraparty elections.
“One can’t contest the Republican presidency if they have not been ratified within their political party. DP has abided by that constitutional article and the party held a convention where I was elected as the DP’s presidential nominee for 2021 elections,” he said. “So, I’m eligible to stand in the elections next year because I was ratified to represent the DP in the general elections next year.”
Kalaba asked other political parties to also follow what the Constitution says and hold intraparty elections.
He added that he was elected by DP officials from all the provinces of Zambia.
“All what I’m waiting for now is to be elected as the President of Zambia on August 12, 2021. God is great! What others should learn [from my intraparty election] is that when you are not eligible, don’t force matters. Ukuboko bapota ukumine (you are sternly punished only if you’re rigid),” Kalaba noted. “We are seeing others who have exhausted the constitutional limits of contesting the Republican presidency running up and down. They still want to have a last go at it! It’s this trend of clamouring for a last go that makes people to miss a penalty.”
He further asked: “what do they want to do which they have not done in seven years?”
“After this, they will start agitating for a fourth, fifth term, because they think the people of Zambia are like ladders. But we won’t allow it!” Kalaba stressed. “If you have twice held office as President of Zambia, fuma pa cifulo (leave the throne). Give us space!”
He also said the DP wants to work closely with abandoned Zambians.