Lets bury shame of Sesheke – Lungu
President Lungu franked by Mwila
President Edgar Lungu has spoken strong on electoral violence saying the acts that characterised the Sesheke poll must never be allowed.
According to an article below made available to Zambian Eye authored by the President’s Spokesperson Amos Chanda, President Lungu has directed the Minister of Home Affairs to deal with pepetrators of violence.
He has also told his party Secretary General Davis Mwila to ensure that members of PF do not get involved in violence.
CHIPATA (March 23,2019) — H.E Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, has again spoken of the shame of Sesheke and ordered that no acts of violence will be tolerated in forthcoming parliamentary and local by-elections on April 12.
Addressing PF party activists at the Chipata Trades school arena today, President Lungu said, for its part, the PF will ensure that no one commits violence in its name and publicly directed Secretary-General Davis Mwila to strictly carry out this directive.
“We took over government without using violence. We are a peaceful party. No one…none of our youths, Secretary-General,must be allowed to commit violence in the upcoming elections. If there will be any acts of violence let it be not from us.”
“People reject violent parties and we saw this in the case of UNIP when vigilantes committed acts of violence. We saw this when the MMD tolerated violence and I don’t want PF to end up like that. Some of you who caused that violence are here and I want you to change,” the President said.
The President said he has privately discussed electoral violence with the Secretary- General and the Minister of Home Affairs and was now repeating the instructions publicly so that no one is left with any doubt where he stands on the matter.
“Within PF, we have agreed that there should be no ferrying of party cadres from outside the elections areas but if anyone from other parties do, let them ensure those campaigners don’t transport violence to voting areas.”
The President has also warned that police were under strict instructions to act decisively against any perpetrators of electoral violence.
The President has also condemned the ugly face of tribalism in some parties and cautioned the PF not to copy those bad habits because he had heard that in some areas, some PF members were segregating on the basis of ethnicity.
“What a shame. That is not the PF I know. That is not the PF of our founder Michael Sata. I won’t let down his soul be letting his legacy destroyed by foreign elements. Where he is, he proud of the progress we have made to grow his party.”
The President also said with the full mandate of the people of Zambia, the PF has decided that national dialogue will be institutionalized via an Act of Parliament called for public support. But he warned that unelected detractors must be ready to obey the will of the people and not undermine the process.
“Notwithstanding that we won the elections with clear majority above the constitutional threshold, we still want to talk to others but when they decide that they will paralyze the country, we won’t let them.”
Ends…