EDGAR LUNGU U-TURNS; WANTS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY UNDER PF IN 2026
EDGAR LUNGU U-TURNS; WANTS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENCY UNDER PF IN 2026.
PF finds another reason to “avoid” convention
…say they will be busy with traditional ceremonies
IN its apparent lack of desire to have an elective convention anytime soon, the PF has found another excuse to delay the meeting further.
Since losing power in 2021, the PF has not been able to hold a convention to elect new party leadership to replace vanquished Edgar Lungu and his executive.
Impeccable insiders have repeatedly told Kalemba that Lungu has u-turned on his decision to leave politics and is using every trick in the book including morning jogging to return to the presidency of the PF after his colleagues and PF aligned bishops convinced him that he would easily win back power in 2026.
The former president’s people have since worked to delay the convention as they work out the best plan to get him back at the helm of the PF.
The convention has already been postponed twice.
At first, the PF blamed its inability to the hold the convention on lack of funds before shifting to blame court cases brought forward by party presidential aspirant Miles Sampa.
Late last month, the PF announced that convention would take place in October but that would be preceeded by a meeting to amend the constitution on July 29, which is next Friday.
But now the party’s PF information and publicity chairperson Raphael Nakacinda says the constitution amendment conference will not take place as announced in order to allow members attend traditional ceremonies.
Nakacinda said the party and its members will be observing the Mutomboko ceremony in Luapula province and the centenary celebration of the Catholic Church in Minga Petauke district of eastern province.
He said the events will occur simultaneously on the same day hence it was resolved that the constitution conference be deferred to allow party members from all provinces to participate in the alteration of the PF constitution.
“This process is one that would not want to have other members of the party especially at the level of the province if not region be undermined or sabotaged from participating fully because there are events that are taking place,” he said.
“That is a matter that is proving to be difficult because we have two national events that are taking place on the same day we had envisioned to hold the restitutive conference. One is the Mutomboko were obviously we cannot avoid but participate as a party two is the 100 years centenary celebration of the Catholic church in Minga Petauke.”
He indicated that some of the provisions that need to be changed is the delineation of the party’s authority from branches of government.
The former minister of water development and sanitation emphasized that the other reason for changing the party constitution is that the PF wants to maintain a professional civil service when it bounces back in power without overcrowding it with cadres.
“There were provisions that seem to suggest we are envisioning to run what seems to have been a one party participatory system. It is envisioned that we are going to have a separation between government and the party,” Nakacinda said.
“The party is basically just an entity or organization through which those who serve in government are sponsored. So when you are sponsored and when you win an election you are expected to serve as a government official without necessarily carrying your tag of politics into government.”
He watered down assertions that the constitution was being modified to serve the interests of a specific individual.
“The party is responding to the demands of the Zambian people and engaging in extensive consultations to ensure the new laws governing the PF meet the expectations of the populace,” Nakacinda said.
He disclosed that after the party suffered a humiliating defeat in the August 12, 2021 poll there have been demands to revamp the party’s image which requires to reconstruct the party structure and its constitutional provisions that do not speak to the democratic dispensation.
“All those petty and childish assertions suggesting that the constitution is being amended with somebody in mind either to enhance their interest or ambition in the party or indeed to undermine somebody’s ambition or desire to participate in the affairs of the party at a certain level is really misplaced,” Nakacinda charged.
He said the constitution reforms are important as part of the rebranding efforts in response to the demands by ‘Zambians’.
“We are consulting widely and we are hoping that at the end of this whole process we will create a piece of law that governs PF, that speaks to the aspirations of the Zambian people and that’s the process we are undertaking,” Nakacinda said.
He appealed to the members of the green family to remain patient as the Leadership is determined to do the right thing on time.
“We will do what you expect us to do not at the instigation of the ruling party or any other individual or organization that we know do not mean well against PF. We will be at a pace and a process that is approved in tandem with the aspirations of the party,” said Nakacinda.
“So it’s only prudent that we re-adjust the dates but I don’t want to pre-empt which option we have because that is subject to the decision of the bigger body which is the National Executive Committee.”
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba