Friday, March 29, 2024

UPND joins in calling for Lungu to resign as Justice Minister

Share

Defense Minister Edgar Lungu inspects the Quarter Guard mounted by Zambia Army Western Region Headquarters during an Official visit in Mongu District, Western Province
File:Defense Minister Edgar Lungu inspects the Quarter Guard mounted by Zambia Army Western Region Headquarters during an Official visit in Mongu District, Western Province

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has joined in calling on Patriotic Front President Edgar Lungu to step down from his ministerial positions ahead of the presidential election next week.

The Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has written to the Electoral Commission of Zambia Chairperson over Mr. Lungu’s continued holding his ministerial position ahead of the presidential election.

UPND Campaign Manager Dipak Patel says if Mr Lungu steps down it would undoubtedly be a positive gesture for boosting public confidence in the election process ahead of polling day.

Mr. Patel says the UPND finds it incredible that with one week to go, Mr. Lungu is still in his positions as Minister of Justice and Minister of Defense.

Mr. Patel says it appears the PF President is unwilling to relinquish these positions even for a week, despite the fact that he is campaigning full time and as such cannot be fulfilling his official functions.

62 COMMENTS

    • Lungu is not going anywhere and will not pander to the selfish whims and demands of Akainde and his cronies.

      Edgar C. Lungu remains Minister of Defense, Minister of Justice, PF President, PF Presidential candidate and ultimately the sixth Republican President of Zambia next week

    • FORGET IT. ESPECIALLY THAT IT IS THE OPPOSITION LAMENTING. IT WILL BE TAKEN AS YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO ADVANTAGE YOURSELF. ONLY THE NEW PRESIDENT WILL REVOKE HIS APPOINTMENT. SO JUST ENDURE TILL AFTER JAN 20th

    • Who says guys can’t multi-task?

      ED: Just watch me next week. I will be President and Minister of ALL ministries. I will be my own Vice President and will handle my own PR. In fact I won’t stop there… I will be Ambassador in ALL nations around the world and I will be Chief Justice at home. I will be ALL things to ALL people. Husbands hold on to your wives because guess what else I could be?

      Chuckle.

    • It is not rocket science, but he was supposed to have resigned a long time ago. He is however insecure hence holding on to the portfolios because he has a slim chance of winning

      SET DOWN LUNGU IF INDEED YOU ARE A HUMBLE MAN

      VIVA HH 2015

    • Kudos my man… I couldn’t agree more…ukutangila tekufika! This reeks of UPND desperation…. No constitutional basis and general yapping to the point of sabotaging the nation, stage managing attack on disgraced former First Lady Maureen, attacking innocent citizens for wearing PF regalia, accusing ECZ of carrying pre-marked ballot papers, stealing a government document and claiming it as your own. Ndipo muzamangiwa ba UPND – Come Jan 20. Garry Nkombo will be UPND President. HH will be sent into political oblivion and charged with espionage, breach of peace, inciting violence etcetera… I am stocking up on the popcorn, this is one tribal movie I cant wait to watch. PF for life! Edgar Lungu! Harder na bena!

    • Shut up Ka Patel. Give one example if this has ever happened in Zambia, any commonwealth country or USA. Government has to be in place till new government takes over. You are alarmist and stop this nonsense. President Lungu shall just lock you and your Terminator tribalist HH up.

    • Values of honesty, fairness, justice and equality are not there in Edgar. He is selfish and greedy. How can he lead if he does not know that his holding to the position compromise the confidence people have for institutions like ECZ. What a lawyer who does not believe in justice. He must step down late though.

  1. Why resigning now when his time is up next week. Let him enjoy the little that is left of him before January 22nd.

    • Before he becomes president, Ni Zonda Uzalema, His Excellence Edgar C. Lungu is not going anywhere until we crown him President.

  2. Ok, they are calling for ka Lungu to resign. When he loses in one week from now he’ll be unemployed. Who is going to put food on his table? Anyone thought of that?

  3. Nothing of that nature in the constitution. Let him be,concentrate on ur campaigns. Nshifwaya aba landa pali Lungu

  4. UPND always cry babies.Give me a valid reason why he should resign. There is no need and I can’t see the reason.
    You are feeling the heat now may be we can buy you Air cons and more over you have declared your selves as winners.
    Just wait BOLA ni 90 minutes.

  5. desparetion as usual on these part of ngombe ilede party y dindnt u say it o along? y now? kikikikiki ! u know that u av lost already.n no excuses will justfy that.
    just accept that.ba under five (5)

  6. UPND has always been a childish Political Party. Ichi chi Dipak should have just stayed in retirement! No new ideas at all. As an independent observer I can smell that UPND has gone into panic mode knowing that they may lose the upcoming election.The best they can do is to continue with the campaigns. We are waiting for 20 January.
    The advise to participating candidates is that they should leave enough room to accommodate disappointment.

    • You want to use choppers to rig election.how can he be justice minister preciding over lombe chibesa kunda easly agree to inogurate HH when he wins.If they will delay announcing the results we shall burn the supreme court to ashes.

  7. FDD and UPND are right on this matter. My suspicion is that the only reasons why Mr. Lungu is holding on to these positions is that he knows he will loose this election and therefore he will resort to scheming with the Judiciary and the Defence to get to plot 1. He will use force/maneuvering like he did with the PF Presidency. FDD and UPND should develop counter strategies. One can almost see Mr. Lungu’s intentions in the event that he looses the election! He has already shown us a glimpse of his character! You cannot trust him.

    • Its a legitimate point, however, not supported by the constitution and as such boils down to individual choice. He can choose to do so, he can not to. As long as there is no legal basis to force him to step down, this is a waste of precious time. Its definitely a teaching moment about how flawed our constitution is and the urgency required to fix it.

    • @TWoods, Loose and lose are different words with very different meanings. Maybe you need HH’s free education sir to know the difference. Chuckles

    • What scheming as a minister which Presidents that control more have failed to do? What level of IQ do some Zambians have? If all the the theories that some Zambians come up with during elections were development oriented, we could have been better of. The drawback is that most of them are actually hallucinations.

  8. The fact that he is refusing to step down is testimony to the fact that this man would make the worst dictator this continent has ever seen..worse than Jammeh, Compaore, Kabila, Gaddafi, Amin, Museveni, Habre, Abacha, Seseseko, Nguesso, Bongo..etc.Zambians don’t say you were not warned.

  9. My advise to FDD and UPND to stop this unnecessary complaint over Edgar Lungu not relinquishing his post as defence minister because it does not change anything. KK and Rupiah remained Commander in Chiefs in 1991 and 2011 respectively until swearing day which is higher than defence minister but lost election.
    The advise I can give you is to tell your people at departing place to have a record of results and and to inform those at the receiving place accordingly which am sure all political parties do.
    What about Daniel Munkombwe endorsing HH who is still PF Southern Province Minister

  10. UPND please don’t be gullible..invest in Parallel Voter Tabulation (PVT).The PF is desperate and they will steal this election from under your noses.The ECZ is powerless as they fear for their jobs.Ifintu ni PVT.

  11. Patel why are u scared of Edgar,Rupiah never resigned his position as VP until he was elected president,EDGAR DONT resign until u are fired by the incoming president,who will be yourSelf.Go lungu go EDGAR GO

  12. Our cordial and generous nature has come to bite us in the ASS. Uyu Patelo Uyu,? Should go back to India- there’re faster means of transportation than what his ancestors used! Viva ECL! We’ll talk in the ballot and silence the critics!

    • @15 hajende,
      You are being racist and be reminded that Zambia does not condone racism and the whole world is united against it. You may not be aware of the fact that today Zambians are found and welcomed in every continent around the world. Travel around and educate yourself by reading.

  13. We are on knees praying that God’s perfect will of a leader prevails, you can shout, scream to the highest heavens, but God’s purpose for this nation will take place. May they seek the sangoma’s, sleep in their black coffins, spend nights at the grave yards, but they will not succeed. We trust in the Lord and we will not be put to shame. I bleed the blood of Jesus for the safety of ballot papers from tampering. May the angels pursue them in their secret dark meetings.

  14. Justice minister only? He should resign everything. His glaring incompetence is blinding. I wouldn’t even have faith in his commandeering the armed forces in a war against any other country.

  15. I’m these calls have come a little too late, although I acknowledge it’s never too late to do the right thing. I reckon they should have intensified them earlier in the campaigns. There’s definitely valid points here for him to resign his positions: conflict of interest and the fact he’s simply not really performing his duties, other than interfering with civil servants.

    But what I don’t understand is what happened to that argument early on even before Lungu was selected as PF candidate. I recall legal people making calls for him to resign as an MP because the Constitution didn’t require one to be an MP and vying for the presidency at the same time. Lungu camp even indicated he would resign, or so I remember.

    And if he resigned as an MP, then he can’t be a minister.

  16. THE ORGANIZATION FEELS THE DEMANDS FOR EDGAR TO RELINGUISH HIS MINISTERIAL POSITION IS UNNECESSARY AS IT DOESNOT BLEACH NTHER THE PUBLICAN CONSTITUTION NOR THE ELECTRAL CODE OF CONDUCT. SUCH CALLS ARE ONLY ADVANCED BY PESSIMISTS AND FAULT FINDERS.

  17. Dipak has not grown a bit since he was Chiluba’s boy. He is still the same old childish fellow. I hope he has removed the earring from his ear lobes. Lungu has nothing to do with the electoral process. Mulekeni umunenu alefola. he is just a poor bloke God has chosen to lead us. Just because yours is a super rich fellow who has chosen himself and has been endorsed by his tonga fellows does not mean you should rub salt in the wound. PF is pro poor. You will see after 21st how the HH you are selling like candy will be found not to have been bought!

  18. Yap, Yap, Yap, these positions should not worry you. Kaunda and Ruphia lost while serving as presidents (Commander In Chief ) of Zambia. Your loss has nothing to do with the Ministrial positions, but unpopularity of your candidate and party.
    After the loss, sit down and come up with new strategies. This time around, the majority of Zambians are not ready to vote you in.

  19. When Mwanawasa died, RB did not step down as vice president, RB did not win 2011 elections and yet he was the president of the country and was commander in-chief of the our armed forces, so you tuma opposition parties what are you scared of.?

  20. The call for Edgar Lungu to relinquish his two portfolios is not out of malice or disregard for the law. It is a moral opinion because Lungu must level the playing field. There is no way you can have a defence minister contesting elections with others. Already, Lungu is threatening violence and telling others that the law is not on their side. How can a responsible defence minister make such utterances? If he is confident of winning the election he should resign as minister. Because he is not so sure, he is clinging on to the portfolios. The good part is that whether he resigns or not, if somebody else wins, automatically he will be fired. And we know that after 20 January 2015 there will be no Vodka Lungu. So, let him loot while it lasts because that’s what he is doing right now;…

    • Uliwabufi waumfwa; It’s not constitutional waumfwa; He will win the elections Waumfwa; He is the chosen one Waumfwa, He is blessed Waumfwa; You should study extensively Waumfwa! Sha!

  21. It is very disappointing to see levels of ignorance among Zambians in some of the political parties and other non governmental organizations. Why calling for Incoming President Lungu to resign his ministerial posts? Are you speaking from the constitution point of view or out of ignorance? His Excellency Lungu is a lawyer. If you want to convince him, provide the article in the constitution that compels him to resign. Look, in the case of the incumbent president, the president remains commander of armed forces. Incoming President, do not listen to these quacks who yaps. You will resign your positions on 23rd January, 2015 after swearing in .Do not listen to a husband grabber Nawakwi, losing UPND, UPND cadre Chipenzi and others.

  22. Ba ngombe ilede upnd muntu tribel party and fDD kantemba party just forget, is this the first time in zambia that one still maintains ministerial position and stands as MP or other wise. Why don’t you say that all ministers must relinquish their positions before elections?? Even in 2016 because Edgar is going to be president by then. UPND we also petition that your HH must relinquish his Freemasonry Post and membership because this is a CHRISTIAN Nation and we can’t allow, neither God can allow a cultist to rule.

    UPND no UPND & its HH, FDD no FDD, finished Munkombwe no finished Mukombwe, Muvi no muvi Tv, watchdog no watchdog or post no post. God has surely answered our prayer come 20th Christian anointed Edgar Chagwa Lungu shall take oath for state house

    “TEAM EL”…

  23. Why should he? Does having ministerial positions affect voting? Did anyone call for RB or Chiluba or Mwanawasa to resign as Presidents when they were campaigning for there second terms? Ask RB if being President helped him?

  24. Is it Constitutional for a candidate to file in both Parliamentary and Presidential Nomination papers at the same? In other words, in Zambia no one person can hold the positions of President and Member of Parliament, simulteneously!

    Mr Lungu should therefore relinguish is National Assembly Membership in order to Constitutionally run for Presidency. It follows therefore that he should step down from his two portifolios of Defence and Justice.

    ‘He can’t eat his case and have it at the same time’, Constitutionally!

  25. THIS KA EDGAR LUNGU IS A SERIOUSLY POWER HUNGRY RODENT! ZAMBIANS WILL SINK SO LOW ON THE GLOBAL PLATFORM IF WE VOTE FOR EL AS PRESIDENT OF OUR ROBUST COUNTRY. YOU BLIND FOLLOWERS OF LUNGU, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE PRODUCTS AND THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE CORRUPTION AND TRIBALISM AND NEPOTISM WHICH SATA INTRODUCED IN PF. YOU ARE IN DIASPORA BECAUSE LATE SATA CORRUPTLY GAVE YOU JOBS, AND NOW YOU ARE WONDERING HOW LIFE WILL BE TO YOU IF HH BECOMES THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA. YOU ARE ALL SELFISH LOT WHO ARE ONLY TAKING CARE OF OWN STOMACHS, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE MASSES OF ZAMBIAN PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF HAVING BAD LEADERS IN PF. GET REAL YOU GLUTTONS. VOTE FOR HH FOR A PROGRESSIVE ZAMBIA.

  26. upnd guys take it easy, its o the same since u said next week hh will be our president he jst want to hand over to the coming minister of defense fr the upnd with 85% in favour of hh. kikikiki kiki

  27. Akalijo! He is the chosen one Waumfwa! We are giving him a promotion. Stop worrying about his jobs; get a life. If you don’t like it…go hang! Chuckles!

  28. The way ka Lungu is eye-balling those soldiers, it’s as if he’s afraid one of them might decide to take a shot at his áss.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading