PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA IS PROMOTING LAWLESSNESS
Lusaka-Friday, 4th October 2024
A video has emerged showing President Hakainde Hichilema at Solwezi Airprort, encouraging Chadiza Member of Parliament, Hon.Jonathan Daka, to introduce himself, in a clear attempt to drive a point, that Daka was an Opposition Member of Parliament, and a purported Vice President of the Patriotic Front Party.
We must remind Mr. Hichilema that whilst in the Opposition, he frequently punished MPs, Mayors, and Council Chairpersons, for merely receiving President Edgar Lungu in their districts or constituencies.
For example, in 2018, President Lungu was conducting the monthly ‘Keep Zambia Clean and Healthy Campaign’ in Kafue District.
President Hichilema proceeded to suspend and later expel the Council Chairperson, Thomas Zulu, for merely receiving the President and participating in the important national activity.
Recently, President Hichilema has been carrying, in his entourage, Patriotic Front Members of Parliament, facing disciplinary cases and in some cases the Party is engaged with such MPs in the Courts of Law.
It is therefore shocking to see President Hichilema taking glory in an MP, introducing himself as Vice President of the Patriotic Front.
If President Hichilema wishes to involve members of the opposition in national programmes, he must treat them as equals and peers and should desist from using such opportunities to embarrass and destroy the Opposition and its leadership.
To our MPs and others, it is imperative that they use extreme caution, wisdom and political instincts and stop frolicking with the UPND, a clearly failing party failing to run government, as their association with a failed party is extremely limiting to their blossoming political careers.
President Hichilema must be reminded that he swore to respect and uphold the republican constitution, and he must therefore, endeavor to adhere to its tenets and values.
Zambia is a multiparty state and provides for the opposition to be legitimate actors and players in the governance of this country.
Further political parties are enshrined and protected under Article 60 of the Republican Constitution, and their existence and operations must be respected as a constitutional requirement and guarantee.
Instead, what we have seen from President Hakainde Hichilema is the relentless attacks against the Opposition, an expression of determination to destroy the parties and decimate their top leadership by using state institutions and law enforcement agencies.
President Hichilema’s targeted actions against the Opposition, are a danger to the state of our democracy and the multiparty character of our country and has left damage to the good reputation of Zambia on the international stage.
President Hichilema has shown in many actions and, without restraint or shame, that he is determined to foster a dictatorship and an autocratic state, disregarding the Constitution, ignoring the principle of seperation of powers, and the role of the Opposition in Democracy.
Issued by
Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Chairperson of Information and Publicity
Member of the Central Committee
PATRIOTIC FRONT
PRESIDENT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA IS PROMOTING LAWLESSNESS
