Lungu ready to lecture Hichilema on democracy
FORMER president Edgar Lungu says he’s ready to meet his successor Hakainde Hichilema, to teach him a lesson or two on democracy.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/26dbbkZQwFzHLU7S/?mibextid=oFDknk
According to Lungu, the New Dawn administration has taken the country’s democracy to its grave by harassing members of the PF and other opposition parties.
Lungu said he’s readiness to meet President Hichilema was in response to the several calls made by various stakeholders for them to meet.
He was speaking during a central committee meeting convened by one slice of the former ruling party held in Lusaka yesterday.
According to a speech delivered by his right hand man Raphael Nakacinda, Lungu asked that President Hichilema restores democracy and the rule of law in the country.
“The meeting was chaired by him and in his opening remarks, president Lungu indicated that he had received requests from various stakeholders including the church, urging him to meet or accept intimation of dialogue from President Hakainde Hichilema,” Nakacinda said.
He indicated that Lungu was willing to meet President Hichilema if; the talks and dialogue will be about restoring democracy.
Nakacinda said his boss suggested that before the parties converse about the dissonance, their discussions should be bordered on cessation of the harassment of the opposition in general as well as members of the Patriotic Front.
“Restore the rule of law; he (Lungu) emphasized that he holds no personal grudges and the purpose of such a meeting will be about restoring democracy and the rule of law,”Nakacinda said.
He indicated that Lungu complained about purported destabilization of the PF by the State.
“President Lungu bemoaned the aggressive and concerted attacks waged against the PF driven by the State. And the determined quest by the State to decimate the party by replacing legitimate office bearers with imposters, and surrogates,” Nakacinda said.
“He said this was an attack on democracy and the rule of law. He states that the subsequent actions by the State to bar or prevent the PF from participating in by- elections through the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) deeply undermines democracy and destroys the multi-party character of Zambia.”
Nakacinda also disclosed that the central committee has appointed an ad hoc committee to scrutinize the PF’s association with political alliances.
He said the ad hoc committee has been ordered to analyze the PF’s affiliation with the Unite Kwacha Alliance (UKA) and set terms and conditions for party’s partnership with the alliance.
“The committee is also expected to propose conditions that rules of engagement to be adopted to guide such partnerships including the UKA alliance. The committee’s reports and its recommendations will be tabled to an urgent central committee meeting that has been called in the next two weeks, to resolve the matter and other urgent issues,”Nakacinda said.
And in sticking to PF’s regional playbook as a political strategy, Nakachinda asked supporters who hail outside from what his party has identified as Zambezi region, to register as voters enmasse.
“The central committee called on the PF members and Zambians to participate in the current voter registration and mobile NRC issuance exercise being undertaken in a biased manner. We know that they have heavily sponsored and undertaking activities in the Zambezi region hoping that they will have an advantage of numbers,” said Nakacinda.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba September 22, 2024.