WE DID NOT COME TO THE UKA WITH ANY KIND OF PRETENSE – NAKACINDA
…without ECL on the ballot there would be no election in 2026
By Correspondent
PF Secretary General Raphael Nakacinda says there is absolutely nothing wrong for it’s members debating the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) presidential flag bearer for 2026 elections.
Nakacinda says the ongoing debate about who should be the alliance’s presidential candidate in 2026 is timely and healthy.
He says nobody should be curtailed as the debate was within the UKA parameter.
“We never went into the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) with pretense of what we were presenting to the alliance in terms of Human Resources and we shall not start now by shying away from suggesting ECL as our choice flag bearer for UKA in 2026, our intentions have always been pure,” Nakacinda said.
He said there was nothing wrong for any PF member to propose former president Edgar Chagwa Lungu to lead as he had vast experience.
“There is absolutely no harm in PF members suggesting that President Edgar Lungu with his vast experience should be the flag bearer of UKA in 2026 just as there would be no harm in members of the Citizens First, NDC, Golden Party, New Herritage Party or any other political party under the alliance suggesting their party leaders to fly the opposition flag.
We have been on a honeymoon as UKA getting to know each other as member parties and that honeymoon period has since ended and it is now time for us to begin having honest and healthy conversations such as the ongoing debate on who should fly our alliance flag in 2026,” he said.
Nakacinda has since reiterated that former president Lungu is eligible to contest any Presidential election in Zambia presently and the ruling UPND should desist from making maneuvers that seek to bar him from being on the ballot.
He said Zambians were resolved in their quest to ensure that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu is on the ballot in 2026 as is his democratic right as empowered by the republican constitution to contest elections as a presidential candidate.
“ I have said before and I will say it again, without Edgar C Lungu on the Ballot there will be NO ELECTION in 2026 and we are prepared to use all means at our disposal to fight any kind of illegality that the UPND may be cooking up to try and stop him from contesting the elections through the courts,” Nakacinda says.
He says if the UPND insist that former President Lungu was not illegible to contest the 2021 presidential elections then President Hakainde Hichilema should vacate State House and hand power back.
“ We will fight with everything we have, not just because President Lungu is our party leader but because Justice demands that he be allowed to contest any presidential election since he was allowed to contest the 2021 election that produced Hakainde and as President and should the UPND insist on this planned injustice by blackmailing judges to rule against the decision of the ECZ to allow ECL contest the 2021 elections then Hakainde Hichilema should immediately vacate the office of president, let President Edgar Lungu take back power and be able to arrange fresh elections were those that are illegible can contest since the 2021 elections would be deemed illegal,” Nakacinda concluded.
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