PF trying to alter constitution for 1 person – Miles
… they did not learn from Bill 10
THE PF is trying to change its constitution to suit one person, the party’s presidential aspirant Miles Sampa has charged.
Following its Central Committee meeting on Saturday, the party announced that it had set October 28, 2023 as the date for the elective General Conference to choose its new leadership but that would be preceeded by what they are calling a Constitutional Conference on July 29.
According to a statement issued by PF chairperson for information and publicity Raphael Nakacinda, the projected cost of the conference would be K5.7 million.
“The Constitutional Conference will be held under a hybrid arrangement where it will be both an in-person and virtual conference,” Nakacinda revealed.
However, Sampa has smelt a rat from the resolution of his party’s central committee meeting.
He believes the party is trying to alter the constitution to accommodate an individual although he says he doesn’t know who that individual is.
Sources have told Kalemba that former president Edgar Lungu is using every trick in the book to return to the helm of the PF after his associates convinced him that he was capable of easily winning the 2026 presidential election.
After the Central Committee meeting on Saturday, the gathering shifted to Lungu’s residence in Lusaka’s Ibex Hill where the former president led them into off-tune praise and worship songs.
Reacting to the decision of the Central committee, Sampa wondered why the PF wanted to change its Constitution.
“Why change the constitution during elections just to suit an individual, one would have thought they learnt enough lessons over Bill 10,” Sampa told Kalemba in an interview.
He said while he agreed that the party’s constitution may need amending, he said the timing set by the central committee was suspicious.
“…they should have done it all this time or better still while we were in power before 2021,” he said.
Sampa said when the party announced the general conference and presidential aspirants paid their nomination fees, the next thing would have been elections not changing the constitution.
“So to change the constitution to suit the election that’s coming defeats the purpose, that never wins. To change the constitution of a club, party or country to suit an individual,” he said.
“They want to tailor make it to suit who, I don’t who they want it to suit but it that won’t work,” Sampa added.
He demanded that the party should just hold one conference to elect its leadership.
“We should have just one conference, either in July or October. Do everything and come out with a leader. Where will the money come from to hold two conventions,” he asked.
He cautioned the PF, saying, “Even doing the two conventions is the process to dribble, but they should be aware that we will not allow them.”
Sampa also said the party’s announcement of the conference also vindicated former PF media director Antonio Mwanza who said the ongoing court issues were not to blame for the delay of the PF general Conference.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba