The opposition UPND has commented on reports coming from New York where State House Press Aide Amos Chanda says the US government has recognised the election of Edgar Lungu.
UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka in a statement to Zambian Eye Monday morning said his party doubts Chanda’s claims. He says State House has been issuing a lot of lies.
Below is the statement:
19th September 2016
Press Statement
We take note of the statement issued by Amos Chanda after Edgar Lungu met with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield in US over the weekend.
According to the statement, the US government has recognised Lungu as the duty elected President of Zambia despite the flaws in the electoral process that were identified.
Since it was said to be a private indoor meeting, we would possibly be glad to hear what was actually discussed than relying on the statement from the State House Press Office which we know has been telling lies and highly discredited.
We doubt the US government can gladly welcome the results of such a flawed process from the violence and brutality that characterised pre-election period, media biases and clampdown, to serious anomalies during the counting process and further closure of media houses after elections.
Further, we doubt the US government can endorse the circus that happened during the court proceedings that resulted in our petition not being heard at all against the fundamental principles of democracy which we know the American government has been very strong on.
We further doubt the legitimacy of the claims being made in the State House statement because we are fully aware the US government has seen the various reports of observers such as the highly respected preliminary report by the Carter Centre which is funded by the American Government.
We also know that the US government are fully aware of the happenings in Zambia pre-elections. Edgar Lungu, himself, refused to meet Ms. Greenfield when she came as US President Barrack Obama’s envoy ahead of the elections with a view to address some governance issues.
Our apprehension with the released statement from Sate House is also on how we have known Americans to have a long standing history of condemning and not congratulating thieves.
This is also evidenced by their earlier statement on governance in Zambia issued by John Kirby, Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs Washington, DC, when they said in part
“The United States is disappointed that politically motivated violence and constraints on media freedom have continued after Zambia’s August 11 general election”.
If indeed the State House statement represents what was said, then it seems the US Government has made a complete departure from their earlier statements, observation mission reports and what is actually obtaining on the ground.
It could also be that the Americans have resigned from the actual situation since the Zambian people seem not interested in taking up the matter in the streets like other countries have been doing when there are flaws in the entire system.
Stephen Katuka
UPND Secretary General
with my little thoughts, I think ECL worn the elections,
1.PF has worn more seats in parliament with about 83 out of 156 seats, this means more than half, if you add the 6 independent members who are supporting PF the number goes to 99.where on earth can a leader of a party with these numbers can lose the elections.
2.when his re election was challenged he was very composed, because he new he had worn, If he had lost, he would have panicked,
My advise to UPND and its followers is that lets go back to the drawing board, do the post-mortem of the past elections and strategize.
Let us install HH as president of southern province.Am pure Tonga!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep on doubting until 2021! Eh! mulimbe!
What will make UPND fail election for rest of their life.
In the history of Zambia there was at one time HH being said he is a satanist.
Second some UPND members were caught training with machets, pangas, guns etc. at their camp.
Third before they were caught Zambia experienced lot of killings, some people were found skin piled off, privates taken away, breasts taken away,etc of which Zambian people who know how analyse after they caught UPND members who were training for war against PF concluded some thing from their. If remember very well the killing stopped in Lusaka shortly the killers spread to other provinces where it continued.Whilst Police attended to those UPND.
Third while we were waiting for court rule UPND members continued bad language and insults. Am sure people can tell if they formed government how Zambia can be turned into.
The of Zambia are Christians and they love SOVEREIGN ALMIGHTY GOD i doubt if they can like style of UPND politics.
I will encourage all meaning Zambians to pray and pray without ceasing so that that spirit in UPND can be removed from Zambia.
From the above you can tell who will win the next elections. Who preach peace in Zambia?Who is still dividing Zambia?
See for yourself. People of Zambia have past from politics of lies. They want facts. Tell the facts, please!!!
Lungu is the satanist not HH.
Oppositions stop paddling lies in Zambia . Elections are over now wait for 2021 elections if you want to talk about elections. It is time for work. I do not agree of what you saying, truly if he did not win by this time he supposed to be out state house. The fact he was sworn in and inaugurate it means he won and even other countries have accepted and other continents at large. If you say he did not win SADDC members would have not come to witness inauguration. That is the fact and by today we would have probably heard UN saying something over Zambia’s election. The fact are quiet they have accepted.
Advise to you change your president HH may be you will win but if it is the same HH you will see same PF bouncing back. You will have great shock than the previous one. Some body predicted PF will rule for 100 years do not take it as joke. We have new constitution and PF is in power and the stronghold of PF are seven provinces and HH three stronghold. PF knew when they signed that constitution. Who do you think has a upper chances of winning? IF YOU CANNOT CHANGE HH THE RESULTS WILL REMAIN THE SAME. IN THREE STRONGHOLD FOR HH PEOPLE HAVE REALIZED THAT HH WAS JUST POLITICKING WHEN HE TOLD THEM DO NOT VOTE YES FOR REFERENDUM. THEY LEARNT THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN ZAMBIA BACKWARDS AND THEIR EYES ARE NOW OPENED SO BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU SAY.THESE THREE PROVINCES ARE LIKE IN THE VILLAGE WHERE INFORMATION TAKE LONG TO REACH THEM DESPITE HAVING TVs AND THEY WERE JUST SUPPORTING FOR SAKE OF HH BEING TRIBLE COUSIN. YOU WILL SEE THERE WILL BE GREAT CHANGE IN VOTING FOR 2021 ELECTION DEPENDING ON THE WORKS OF PF.
REMEMBER THIS PLATFORM IS TO BUILD ONE ANOTHER.
I can assure you, this is not yet over until God says it’s over. Watch the space… but do not comit suicide when tables turn in your very eyes. We worship a living God. We are christians for Jesus, not for Lungu. Don’t insult God.
We have the US Embassy here which has Credible information on this issue and not the reported speech from Chanda. US is a great nation with high profile democracy unlike Dununa Reversed Democracy.
You would rather be recognised by the American Embassy than America itself?
Very interesting; you think that Carter would congratulate ECL without input from the American Embassy in Zambia.
Do you thing the secretary of state would congratulate and recognise ECL without input from their embassy here?
Better still, do you think Obama would invite ECL in his capacity as Zambian president without input from the American Embassy in Zambia?
This why people have always wondered whether UPND understands governance or not.
The manner in which UPND looks at issues has remained surprising even to primary school going kids.
@Pieces of Zambia
The ever lasting problem with you is that you never awake your little brains from slumber to understand what is globally going on and move with the rest. As a matter of fact, be informed that the USA has not recognized your dancing king chakolwa as president but lectured him on democratic attributes. You are just good at misleading those that blindly follow on your boring comments. Continue listening to your Deadnbc which appears to be the source of your fake comments.
The only person who has not recognised ECL as president is HH and his followers, on whose behalf he thinks.
Definitely if on one hand I have all African countries, China, Japan, Russia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, USA, UK, all Arab states, Italy, France, etc recognising President lungu as duly elected;
while on the other hand I have HH and his supporters, on whose behalf he thinks, saying they don’t recognise him,
you don’t expect me to join the group on whose behalf HH thinks.
If following HH makes sense, then for me such would bad sense.
bakalusa mulibwanji!!!!!!upnd is always behind.kikikikikiki
“We doubt the US government can gladly welcome the results of such a flawed process from the violence and brutality that characterised pre-election period”, What about the post-election violence in Namwala and other places in the south, why are you not mentioning them Mr. SG?
“Further, we doubt the US government can endorse the circus that happened during the court proceedings that resulted in our petition not being heard at all against the fundamental principles of democracy which we know the American government has been very strong on”. Mr katuka did you mean the circus created by your directionless legal team?
And finally, why this interest in America’s accepting the outcome of the election when other nations including China, UK, Russia and bodies like Commonwealth, UN, EU and AU did it a long time and UPND was quite. Could it be that US is UPND’s sympathizer?
Are you sure UK, Russia, China, UN, EU and other bodies have accepted the outcome of the 11th August election?
When UN, China and others send messages of congratulations what do that mean to you? Be be sober for once!
UPND has been doubting since 2001.
There is no doubt that they will doubt until 12th August 2021.
Again after August 2021, the will enter a new wave of doubt for the following 5 years, till August 2026.
In short, UPND will continue to be a doubting party. I doubt if UPND does not doubt their very existence.
Russia, china are foreign to de rules of democracy hence dictators like ? Bob are good friends.