FDD president Edith Nawakwi has warned president Edgar Lungu and his agents not to inspire civil strife in the country and further warns that their scheme to impeach the constitution may backfire and lead to the impeachment of President Lungu himself.
Commenting on two PF agents who have gone to the Lusaka High Court seeking a court order to stop the 2016 elections, the FDD leader said the plot by the PF to stop the 2016 election by impeaching the Republican Constitution will have consequences of the president being impeached himself.
Ms. Nawakwi further warned the PF not to tempt the public by inspiring debate over an issue which is non debatable adding that the only motive behind the two agents is for the people in office to continue rooting the country’s resources.
Yesterday, Two citizens have sued the Electoral Commission of Zambia in a bid to halt the 2016 elections until 2020.
Richard Mumba and Wright Musoma plan to file in a Court petition in the Lusaka High Court today.
The two argue that President Edgar Lungu was given a five year mandate to rule Zambia, meaning that elections should only take place on January 20th 2020.
The two has since sought a Court order to stop the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) from conducting the 2016 Presidential Elections.
Mr Mumba of Chibombo District and Mr Musoma of Lusaka say that article 35 Sub-article one of the Zambian Constitution states that every President shall hold office for a period of five years.
The two have argued that President Lungu’s tenure will expire on 20th January 2020.
This is contained in a petition filed in the Lusaka High Court.
Mr Mumba and Mr Musoma want the court to determine whether or not President Lungu has been discriminated by Article 35 Sub-Articles 1 and 4.
The two have sued the Electoral Commission of Zambia-ECZ as the first respondent and the Attorney General as the second respondent.
Mr Mumba and Mr Musoma have also sued President Lungu as the third respondent. The two have further sued all the 2015 Presidential candidates as respondents.
The two are being represented by Lusaka Lawyer Rabson Malipenga.
Below is the transcription of Ms. Nawakwi’s comments on the issue.
They want to start a dirty game whose only interest is to continue to root the resources of this country. The so called petitioners have clearly said they are friends of the President and birds of a feather flock together. By virtual of them declaring that they are friends of the President it’s clear that they sat over a drink and sketched a plot to impeach the Constitution of this Republic.
Our President claims to be in AU and in the regional bodies over seeing peace in the region, I do not expect the Head of State to inspire strife at home while pretending to be making peace abroad.
PF came into office and promised us a Constitution in 90 days, they were in opposition for 10 years surely they should have sat down and identified the lacunas in our current Constitution which the people of Zambia having been happing about that is the reason why we want a Constitution, who is sitting on it? It’s the same President and for him to be so notorious as to start inspiring such debate only reviews the real colours of who we are dealing with.
I don’t think that any Judge of good standing would want to pen their name to the adulteration of the rules and norms governing our nation. If people recall in 2008 am on record as having said that at the demise of the head of state one would expect that his vice should continue, this is the practice world over, even at the last unfortunate incident we tried to talk to a number of MPs, we said you people in parliament why not allow the vice president Dr. Guy Scott to finish the term because it would just have required an amendment to the law instead of an election and that would have allowed us to conclude the pending issues in the Constitution using the same money we used to hold the elections the answer I got from some key PF official was that don’t even think about Guy Scott continuing even for another week.
We cannot develop this country with the current constitution because it reposts too much power in one individual who at this very moment can go and bull doze the judiciary and take this no sense before us and pass it through. That was our worry and it is still our worry, there is no independence of any institutions in this country.
If the Doctors have advised the President that he should scale down on his work load that is not a recipe for postponing the elections in 2016, if he wants to be in the game he has to run. In any case as we are speaking right now Patriotic Front has already started campaigning and issuing jingles on public media so they are ahead.
They have collected enough 10 percents from their contracts, right now they are trying to borrow more money so that they can continue to enrich themselves if 21months is not enough to accumulate wealth then tuff luck. The people of Zambia are crying, there is misery everywhere you look and I know even those in PF agree with me that the writing is on the wall they have failed that is why they are coming up with such schemes to try and impeach the constitution but they should know that this will have the consequence of impeaching the president.
Let me put it this way to these children, we fought the colonialists and they left, we also fought the one party state vicious as it was and they existed, we fought the third term and it was put to rest and if the PF think they have the capacity and muscle to start a war in this country then the inappropriate helicopters they have bought from Russia are not enough for them to run away from this country.
Postpone the elections. We don’t need another HH circus. It is disruptive to the country’s development.
you must be sick in your head. The wind of change is blowing across the country and chagwa is dead scared hence his skirmes to delay the elections to 2020,it shall not work,edgar and his godfather rupia kuyabebele come 2016
You might need prayers, therapy and a lesson is fundamental citizens rights. People are the bosses of the government. So let not they that are employed by us forget that.
The problem in Zambia is that even fo.ols like these two are given attention. I will not be surprised if this issue gains momentum when other fo.ols join in to support this issue. Just wait next we will hear that there is no money for elections, so it is okay to postpone them. This will be like the draft constitution; just wait
Edgar Lungu came on a promise just to finish off Sata’s term. Today he wants a full 5 year term. Sara’s widow has been evicted and useless PF supporters are cheering on. Is this not hypocrisy of the worst kind? Why is Edgar so scared of elections next year? Answer is simple, he wants to enjoy State House together with Rupiah Banda
Ask Miles Sampa, he knows how Lungu used the legal system to dribble Miles out of the PF presidency. Now he wants to do the same for the 2016 elections and stay longer in office.
Shut up chineo. How many toilets have you cleaned today?
Silliness and surprising how Some Zambians can go to an extent of doing stupid things just to feed their Mouth. They are all Lungu’s Hitchmen who want to continue looting our Country up to 2020.
Try it and you will see how Lungu will fall.
I think the Muliokela syndrome is spreading very fast in Zambia.
Mr Lungu was elected to COMPLETE the 5 years given to Sata not 5 years. The man even said: “for now I have no vision of my own because I am finishing Mr Sata’s term.”
The motive behind all this is about Presidential Retirement benefits. Mr Lungu’s agents are scared. IF Mr Lungu loses, he will not have clocked the three years that entitles him to those benefits.
Guys Just tell your Lungu to work hard and impress the voters and not this Kalulu stories you are taking to court.
Who remembers how the late President Sata also claimed that if he won the 2008 election, he’d rule for 5 years until 2013? These PF politicians can be selfish:
There Will Be No Polls in 2011 – Sata
Times of Zambia
20 OCTOBER 2008
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) leader, Michael Sata, has said there will be no presidential elections in 2011 because whoever will be elected president in this month-end’s election is supposed to rule for five years.
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I had told myself never to post another comment on all these useless online media. Zambia Reports being the worst. However, this is too much for any sensible person to ignore.
I have never liked Mr Lungu from start. The way he disrespected Dr Scott and intimidated his opponents was enough warning for any level headed person to know that he was a dictator in making. He (Mr Lungu) and Inonge Wina are exactly the same. Even his statements such as “I will fall on you like a ton of bricks”, “Those who dont agree with me should leave the country”, “Dr Scott is not my friend, we dont drink together”, etc, etc, all reveal the type of person that he is; wicked, arrogant and insecure person.
This is probably too much coming from me, but enough is enough with this guy. His end will be…
Hunger is what is making these guys to go into the hallucination mode. Why waste their money and more importantly court’s time?
The issue has already started backfiring – except the petitioners are the one burnt so far with Chama claiming they are not PF members and did not consult the PF
The constitution is clear. President Lungu is finishing President Sata’s last two years of Sata first term. In short he has to go to the polls tomorrow. Where are our MPs to sue these two morons on our behalf as the people of Zambia?
Nawakwi nawakwi is this what you have become. Cheap politics lead nowhere mum
These unfounded allegations will be the cause of unrest. Riling the citizenry into panic mode over moves that are not yet undertaken by the Courts and brought by people not proven to be carrying out a PF party agenda agreed by the party.
Nonetheless, let’s look into the suggested delay. Considering the costs of elections so soon after the last elections, could we not get Opposition politicians to delay their anticipated election losses?
Why rush to lose again? There is no alternative to PF currently. Our joint purpose should be to stabilise the nation and allow our economy to produce fruit from current investments and economic policies. Surely, Nawakwi will want to prove her suggested win win policy has served the gov’t well?
This petition is already in the Lusaka High Court filed yesterday by Messrs Robson Malipenga and company on behalf of Richard Mumba, Simemeza Syachikwe and Wright Musonda, – See more at: *******
Dude, Chikwanda just told you we are in deep dudu coz of PF policies or lack thereof so where do you get off saying there is no alternative when these people have given us zero direction regarding moving this country forward? Have you critically analysed why Greece is in the mess they are in and why we were in a similar mess in the eighties? It is because of Chikwanda type of policies which have not changed from the bloody seventies! I have not heard one PF supporter rebut these concerns we always tout and don’t get me started on your lost president who would rather fly to Mozambique to have a blast when he has a whole province (southern) teetering on rage because of yappings from his own CEO and you want us to condone this nonsense till 2020??? Are you OK???
I always thought Edith Nawakwi is above such pettiness. She is now falling in the bracket of Pilato and HH. The fact that RB only saved for 3 years is enough argument for those two other crazy guy’s case to be throw out. I thought she new the law better to even start accusing the PF. Is Edith also becoming a Tonga to blame everything on PF even for low levels of water at the Kariba. Nigaz please!
Nawakwi is really a good politician and very Presidential material.
She desperately needs to stop being a bit…. ‘Bambi.’
The police need to apply the public order act on these two f00ls who want to cause havoc in the nation.
No. It should not be police to decide what people are allowed to say or what silly injunctions they file.
Rather, it is the President who should put an end to this. He needs affirm his oath and state in the clearest of terms that he respects the Constitution and will participate the 2016 elections.
I think the stripping of immunity of former heads of state and court cases is not a deterrent enough. We should now be, court marshalling within 24hrs of leaving/being forced out of office blindfolding, tying behind a pole and a sniper firing a single shot to the head amid a cheering crowd at independence stadium
These 2 are but attention seekers! Pf all the way
They are actually shameless 1diots. Stop mincing words.
anyone who will support this move is really chainama-tic. PF and EL are taking Zambians for f.o.o.l.s. ask one FTJ over the third term and you will see that Zambians when roused to a certain degree actually can stand up and resist even the most draconian POA. i dont wish them to reach those levels and i know the law will squarely deal with this issue.
very dull chaps,why did the court entertain such nonsense when a precedent was already set by RB.RB allowed the election to be conducted in 2011.the two are confusing themselves ,a pf constitution and zambian constitution are separate entities.if the pf consti says ECL term is 5 yrs,then zed consti doesnt say like that in any presidential elections.anyway chiluba tried the 3 term attempts but it failed.ECL said mugabe is his mentor but zed is not zim.
Sure ba police is this not likely to breach peace?I think u need to be yourself with these issues,can this one compered to pilato’s song?
It is very hard for me to believe that there are people in Zambia who can dream of postponing 2016 Elections!
It cannot happen. These two clowns are just being imaginative in order to eat. Even Edgar knows that this is like a dog with horns. Nawakwi should just brace herself for another defeat
Never underestimate power of 5tupid people in large numbers!!!
It makes no difference. The truth of the matter is that – though MMD ( Nevers Mumba ) was trying to distance himself from PF last week, he has agreed to form a Pact with PF whenever the elections are called for.
He is there to fool others – that PF have no chance again. He has no chance but hanging on to the MMD Presidency because he has no money to survive on.
The truth is that he really wanted to go into Diplomatic. But PF need him because he is the captain of MMD, who will ensure the Pact comes to pass.
RB has managed to pull 19 MP’s who will support Lungu and many more are coming.
So it will be ( PF-MMD) verses UPND. And looking at the Electoral Map. One can see PF will still continue to rule whether the elections are in 2016 or 2020.
Edith knows this deal very well…
Police were quick to arrest and charge Pilato over a song yet they entertained these two mor0ns who probably spent the previous night drinking kachasu. Where’s Zambia heading to?
These 2 people are not working on their own, they are just being useful *****s who have accepted a few dollars to accomplish some one else’s mission and you know who. They are just doing it to put food on the table just like most bloggers who oppose anyone that does not sing praises for government albeit at the expense of mother Zambia for the same reason. It is sad that poverty and selfishness in Zambia have reached such alarming levels that people have completely lost any moral values as a result.
Zambia has a constitution and that’s what should be followed as was the case in past. We already have history in this area, and this nonsensical idea should be thrown out with the contempt it deserves. Thank you Ms Nawakwi, as some people were already calling other media outlets names in…
Edith Nawakwi says the government wants to postpone the 2016 elections or impeach the Constitution. And she wants to justify her statement by saying government officials (including the President) must have met over a beer and conspired to do this by way of a High Court Petition. What evidence has she got? Isn’t it true that every Zambian has there own interpretation of the law? And isn’t it true that the courts of law are there to interpret the law? Because Nawakwi wants to become president of Zambia, even if she won’t anytime soon, should that stop citizens from exercising their rights? Should the Principal Registry refuse a petition because it borders on the presidency? Every person has the right to be heard.
There is always win and loose in courts of law, so why is Nawakwi…
The two are actually right.President Lungu deserves a full 5 years term.
Great. Then let him stand for re-election in 2016 and he may stay in power for almost 7 years instead of 5
Nawakwi should stop yapping any how.You cant compare yourself to Lungu.There is no need for Lungu to be subjected to elections again because a President in Zambia was supposed to rule for 5 years.We gave him the mandate……he never voted for himself.Afterall his record so far is impressive.
Yes,a President in Zambia was supposed to rule for five years and there is nothing wrong about it.Are you in a hurry to bring cow dung manure to plot one ? no no let President Lungu finish his term……we are happy with his rule because Zambia is seeing massive development.
Nawakwi do you ever dream that one day you will rule Zambia ? Forget it my dear sister.Now its time for Lungu.Your chance may come in 2030 if you are luck.
The finished Sondashi,Mulongoti,Mucheleka and the other disgruntled elements always quoted in the Post are wasting their time.Lungu is now the man of the people.SELENI TUBOMBEKO !
Ukwiba ekubomba? Shame.
These 2 are sick
Hehehehehe thats the problem of voting for poor chaps. Why is he afraid of the 2016 elections??? And if you think this is a good idea then you are just as DULL as those two *****S. When Sata said he is sorounded by useless chaps he meant some of you….
Just campaign and prepere for 2016 not ma short cuts of tryng to get rich in 2 years.
What is Pf afraid of by scheming to postpone the 2016 general elections? I am itching to vote next year so that we kick out these Paya Farmer party from power.
Its a good suggestion so that we can save money for development. Why have elections when we just had elections few months ago and we all know who is going to win. Its clear that E.C.Lungu will carry the day so why weast resources.