MUSHIMBA WARNS AGAINST REMOVAL OF PRESIDENTIAL TERM LIMITS
Organized People’s Party (OPP) President Eng. Dr. Brian Mushimba has urged President Hakainde Hichilema, the United Party for National Development (UPND) leadership and Members of Parliament to reject any attempts to remove presidential term limits from the Constitution.
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Dr. Mushimba said Zambia’s democracy had been achieved through sacrifices and struggles by citizens who endured persecution, intimidation, imprisonment and other hardships to establish a multiparty political system.
In a statement, he said presidential term limits were constitutional safeguards intended to prevent the concentration and perpetuation of power, regardless of a sitting President’s popularity or electoral strength
“Zambia’s democracy is not a personal possession. It must be protected, not manipulated,” Dr. Mushimba stated.
He expressed disappointment with sections of the UPND and its supporters who were advocating the removal of presidential term limits, arguing that the party had opposed similar constitutional changes when it was in opposition.
“What was wrong in opposition cannot suddenly become right in government,” he said.
Dr. Mushimba maintained that political leadership required consistency in defending democratic principles, particularly when doing so might conflict with political interests.
He warned that removing presidential term limits could establish constitutional precedents that future governments might exploit, adding that the UPND should recognise that it would not govern the country indefinitely.
“Leadership is not simply about standing for principles when they favour you,” he emphasised.
He further called on all well-meaning Zambians to defend the country’s democratic institutions and ensure that constitutional safeguards remained intact.
“We fought too hard for multiparty democracy to become a generation that presides over its gradual destruction,” Dr. Mushimba stated.
He said the responsibility of the current generation was to strengthen democracy for future generations rather than weaken it through constitutional changes driven by political ambitions.
“Zambia belongs to its people, not to its Presidents,” he said.
Dr. Mushimba reaffirmed his position that two presidential terms were sufficient and that the existing constitutional provisions should be preserved.
“Two terms are enough. Democracy must prevail. Our constitutional safeguards must remain intact,” he stressed.