LUXON Kazabu says there is panic in the PF because some officials have realised that their preferred man, Edgar Lungu, is ineligible to run for the Republican presidency for a third term.
Kazabu, a former deputy minister in Michael Sata’s government, says wild allegations made against judges by Lusaka Province PF chairman Paul Moonga are calculated to intimidate.
Last Friday, Moonga invited journalists to his office in Lusaka to cover several of his unsubstantiated claims against judges of the Constitutional Court, in relation to President Lungu’s eligibility for this year’s elections.
He accused opposition political parties of seeking to bribe Constitutional Court judges who could disqualify President Lungu from contesting for a third time.
Moonga claimed the opposition was assembling a team of what he termed expensive lawyers to petition President Lungu’s eligibility after filing his nomination papers for the August 12 general election.
Filing in of nomination papers by presidential candidates will be done in May.
Moonga also accused the opposition of planning to pay Constitutional Court judges to rule in their favour.
He claimed that according to PF ‘intelligence reports,’ the opposition had already compiled their petition, and was just waiting to file when the time comes.
“By last year October, they (opposition) put a consortium of lawyers together waiting to go and petition the eligibility of our president once he files his nomination. May be, you have misunderstood me…,” Moonga claimed. “Our colleagues, the opposition political parties, with the alliance, with our whole intelligence report we have ourselves as a province and the whole entire country; instead of spending their time and energy mobilising their party members who would be their voters, they’re busy mobilising the most expensive lawyers who can go to court after we’ve filed our nomination, 12th of August. They’re putting up, the following day they’ll be in the courts of law fighting our president [that] he’s not eligible to stand; what a shame!”
He repeatedly referred to Malawi’s 2019 presidential election that was nullified in favour of the opposition.
Moonga warned judges that the PF was “watching” them.
He further questioned the credibility of Malawi’s judiciary.
“With those lessons from Malawi which I think the opposition are leaning on, we may go the Malawi way. They may try to buy some, but not all judges can be the same. Believing they may buy a few judges to nullify the credibility of our candidate, that’s their focus,’’ Moonga said. “So, [instead of putting] on money to grow the party, they’re busy putting on money to see whom they can corrupt; a judge to nullify our president. We are very much alive, we’re aware and we are watching all the judges in Zambia.”
He continued: “kindly, don’t (judges) fall prey to these monsters who have no known manifesto for this country.
“Don’t fall prey to these monsters who have no agenda for Zambia, whose agenda is simply to become president of Zambia at any cost. This, members of the press, my office, has this message…” said Moonga.
Kazabu called The Mast to react to Moonga’s allegations.
He advised that everybody must respect the independence of the judiciary.
“To speak the way Paul Moonga spoke borders on intimidation of judges and the courts of law. It is not correct! Why are they now resorting to intimidation?” Kazabu, the former Nkana PF member of parliament (2011 to 2016), said. “They are so confident that President Lungu is eligible for a third term. [But] it would appear there are some in PF who have now come to terms with the correct interpretation of the provision of the Constitution, in particular Article 106 (3) going on to sub six.”
He said Article 106 (3) of the Republican Constitution talked about the holding of Office of President twice.
“Holding office twice and a term of office of five years mean totally two different things. There is panic in PF because now some of them have realised that President Lungu is not eligible to stand again. The reason is simply that there is no provision for a third term,” he said.
Kazabu told PF and government officials to completely avoid threatening judges.
“But for goodness’ sake, let leaders in PF, in the government, stay away from intimidating the judges. We all agree that the judiciary enjoys independence and we should uphold that principle. Clearly, Paul Moonga in his statement meant to intimidate the judges,” noted Kazabu. “My appeal to our dear judges is that they should not stand for individuals but rather stand for their country – which is the Republic of Zambia.”