PF MUST BE SINCERE ABOUT ITSELF BEFORE IT MEETS A POLITICAL CYCLONE OVER ITS LEADERSHIP UNCERTAINTIES.
Listening to my long time friend PF vice president Given Lubinda attacking me and PF acting Secretary General Nickson Chilangwa justifying Given Lubinda’s acting presidency position respectively, i was left to wonder whether the duo truly believed in themselves and the party constitution.
They both avoided to clarify the provision of Article 53(1) which must be clarified on whether or not former head of state, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has resigned or removed from his position as a substantive president of the PF.
If president Lungu has not resigned then indeed Article 53(1) partially does not apply though clause 2 of the same article does and perhaps Article 54 and 61 can come in force.
However, the PF constitution has no provision for a party President taking a “backsit” but only either as a resignee or removed from office (an oustee) which triggers the provision of Article 53(1).
The other provision is when the PF party president is absent due to various reasons such as illness or being outside the country which triggers Article 54 and 61 and not when he is within the country.
ARTICLE 61(g) (POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE PARTY) guides that the President of the Party shall empower any member of the Party to exercise any powers or specified functions for and On behalf of the President, Party or the Central Committee.
Are Mr Lubinda and Mr CHILANGWA telling the nation that Mr Lungu is indisposed (sick) to perform his functions and duties as PF president for him to take a “backsit” which is not provided for in the PF constitution?
Or that PF has two presidents (which is unconstitutional) one acting for the “backsit” President in this case Mr Lubinda for Mr Lungu and another President at the “backsit” of the party in this case Mr Lungu?
Is this not political confusion and therefore, if not, is Mr Lungu being negligent of his duties and functions as a party president or he is deliberately cooking confusions in PF before he leaves just like RB did to MMD?
Does Given Lubinda got a letter of appointment of an Acting pilot (President) of PF boat from Mr Lungu until the party’s General Assembly in June 2022 to circumvent the provision of Article 53(1) while Mr Lungu takes a “backsit” in the same boat?
Imagine if today, Mr Lungu drops dead (God for bid) in the absence of a letter of appointment to Mr Lubinda, does Mr Lungu ever envisages the leadership wrangles he would leave behind in PF?
For the Acting SG Mr. Chilangwa, the PF Constitution is clear in Article 56 that In the absence of the Secretary General the Deputy Secretary General shall deputise for Him
Therefore, Chilangwa is firmly in place and discharging his duties constitutionally so the sentiments that PF has no SG to act as PF President are false.
The only institution to resolve this leadership quagmire is the Secretary to Cabinet.
We will be writing to SC to request Mr Lungu to state whether or not he is still involved in partisan politics being still a president for PF from the “backsit” and therefore not eligible to access his former presidential benefits.
More popcorns please
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi