Friday, March 29, 2024

President Lungu Comments on his term of office ending in 2020 instead of 2016

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President Lungu with Dr Simbyakula
President Lungu with Dr Simbyakula

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said he can white-wash any political contender if elections were held any time soon.

Mr Lungu said although he had not initiated the current debate where some lawyers were suggesting that his term of office ends in 2020 according to the constitution since every President was elected for a period of five years, he was still able to beat any contender if elections were held in the near future.

He was speaking in Maputo, Mozambique on Thursday night when he met Zambians living in Mozambique.

Mr Lungu was responding to a question from a Zambian living in Mozambique, Friday Musukwa, who wanted to know if it was true that President Lungu wanted to change the electoral process and call for general elections in 2020 instead of holding elections in 2016.

“There is a lawyer in Zambia, Rabson Malipenga, who has gone to court to say that the law provides that a president shall be elected on a term of five years and so Mr Lungu has been elected from January 2015 for a five year period up to 2010.

“Mr Malipenga has argued that my term of office does not expire in 2016 and therefore I should be allowed to be in power up to 2020. This is an augment being debated and I am giving you the report from people who reported to me two days before I came here in Mozambique,” he said.

He said he had not met Mr Malipenga as he also got the story while he was going to Mozambique.

“Looking at the law, yes a President shall be elected for five years and the same law states that when a president dies, another one shall be elected.

“I am not behind this story but the argument is worthy following. When President Levy Mwanawasa died in 2008, former President Rupiah Banda (RB) served for three years and other people are saying that was a mistake as RB should have served for five years,” Mr Lungu said.

He said he was a lawyer and he swore to the people of Zambia that he would defend, protect and preserve the country’s constitution.

“To cut the story short, there is a debate on whether RB was cheated or not cheated out of office as he should have been allowed to run for five years when Mwanawasa died.

“The other school of thought says parliament runs for five years unless you resign or due to misfortune,” Mr Lungu said.

He said some people were accusing him of trying to defeat the constitution which was not correct.

“In interpreting the constitution, it is the power of the courts of law headed by Chief Justice Ireen Mambilima to determine on whether the issue under discussion is relevant or not.

“This is a debate which is going on now. However, I am not afraid of elections as I can white-wash any contender,” he said.

On the constitution making process, President Lungu said his Cabinet had identified some clauses in the draft constitution which would be taken to parliament while the clauses which would be left out would be subjected to a referendum.

He said the proposed 50 + 1, duo citizenship and Vice President being a running mate to the President were some of the clauses which would be taken to parliament.

Mr Lungu also said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government was willing to have an election date fixed in the constitution as demanded for by some sections of society.

“There is nothing hidden about this constitution making process. What people want to do is to go to parliament or State House using the back door.

“People have left churches to come and join us in politics because they want political power. We will not allow the civil society to hijack the constitution making process,” Mr Lungu said.

Mr Lungu asked Zambians to clearly read and understand the proposals made in the draft constitution, which he released last year when he was Defence Minister, so that they make informed decisions.

He said only chiefs had told him that article 296 of the draft constitution was not good while the rest of the Zambians had not told him their fears and concerns.

And President Edgar Lungu has told Zambians living in the diaspora that government remains committed with the agenda of increasing economic growth for the well-being of the citizenry.

President Lungu says this commitment is already receiving attention as a number of developmental projects such as road construction, hospitals and schools among others are on course.

And President Lungu explained the benefit that Zambia will get once milling plants are established in all the ten provinces.

Mr. Lungu added that the introduction of milling plants will help reduce the maize meal prices thereby making the commodity affordable to the local people in the respective regions.
The Head of State also observed that such investments were expected to have a direct economic impact as they will promote creation of jobs and other opportunities among the citizens.

In his remarks, President Lungu cited Mbala district in Northern Province where the milling plant is already operational.

The President is confident that the projects being initiated will result in wealth creation and wealth maximization.

He observed that allowing many economic players in the milling industry will promote participation of various business activities that will result in the improvement of their wellbeing.

“In Mbala district, the milling plant is already operational and people are going there,” he said.

And on the issue of land acquisition for Zambians living abroad, President Lungu said submissions will be made on the policy of Zambians living in the diaspora so that their concerns are met.

81 COMMENTS

  1. Illusions of one visionless Lungu!

    Yapping! Lungu & PF, fix the economy & kwacha. Whitewashing is just PF’s wigwam illusions.

    Poor PF & Visionless Lungu!

    The Skeleton Key
    ~206~

    • @skeleton your comment is the most visionless senseless. What do you know about the tenure of the president from the law point of view. This is an issue worth debating rather than hailing insults at the president.

    • Ask Miles Sampa. Lungu, we all know you initiated this debate to extend your term and have just realized that this has been received negatively. Miles Sampa knows your devious character and you will do anything to usurp power at all costs. You look quiet and timid in nature but we all know your true conniving and manipulative character.

      You hide behind other people in orchestrating your devious motives.

      Clear example of how you manipulated the judicial system by stealing the PF presidency from Miles Sampa. Before Miles could appeal, it was too late and you were already sworn in as president.

      Miles Sampa, if you’re reading this – we all know how much you were hurt by Lungu’s actions but what we don’t know is what Lungu did to STOP your fight and keep you quiet.

    • Skeleton ever posting silly. Just prepare to go and convince the court. RB was cheated, this time we have a lawyer who graduated with a distinction . Bola yakosa

    • Lungs, we all know you can never come out in the open to push your devious agenda. You use your sponsored agents to do this for you.

      Examples:
      1-Suspension of the DPP
      2-2014 PF succession wrangles and dribbling Miles Sampa out of the PF presidency
      3-The case against Pilato
      4- and now postponing the elections to 2020

      You claim independent citizens whom you distance yourself from comes forward with these petitions then the Attorney General get involved at the end. How is this possible?

  2. Deja vu: Chiluba did the same with the third term debate, claiming it was democracy at work, and people could debate and change the Constitution if they wanted to. Lungu is playing the same dangerous game. Nobody cheated RB, because that is the law. General elections have to happen in Zambia every 5 years, and not when Lungu or RB wants to.

  3. From the tone of Lungu, you can tell that he is the one who has sponsored this court action.

    Lungu further claims:

    “there’s a debate on whether RB was cheated or not cheated out of office….”.

    Stop lying, we have never had such a debate on RB

    • I don’t understand how any one can steal a Pseudonym! You my Friend posing as ‘the Chosen One’ should find your own nickname otherwise I will start praying dangerous prayers!
      I’ve no comment as such about the President continuing but I think the problem is the Constitution and the current draft offers a solution. The most important statement made by the President is his determination to facilitate for Zambia to get a new Constitution based on the current draft. Yet people are so fixated on a fictitious 2016 election that noone has said will take place. Zambians, no human being has a magic solution to our problems. Only systems with the kind of checks & balances in the current draft Constitution will improve governance & delivery. An election in 2016 is not the be & all. GOD BLESS…

    • @4.1 You are deluded. Even your claim over a fake name for blogging. How petty! Zambia will have elections next year whether Lungu likes it or not.

    • @ Chosen one with USA flag.
      It means you’re not a regular here on LT, you would have noticed me way back with the Union Jack flag. Took up this pseudonym the moment Moyes was appointed. But that’s a petty issue, there are more important issues you need to worry about like contraction of debt. Besides it’s not a patented name, it’s in public domain. However, if you’re genuinely aggrieved, you can go and hire Robson Malipenga and sue me for impersonation..

    • @4.2 Backteeth… My apologies. In my haste of typing this came out all wrong. I meant to say a fictitious 2020 election that no one has said will take place. Iam with you on this one. My Pseudo is Devine for starters & it is sad to someone else misuse it. Most importantly my friend any election in this country whether it happens in 2016 or 2020 will simply be a transition as long as we have a weak governance system. The same person that is being insulted is the one pushing to strengthen this governance system. Whatever his term may be he cannot be in power forever and someone may takeover who is not interested in transforming and strengthening the governance system. Do you see how this opportunity to transform could be lost? It matters less who is in State House but more so the system.

  4. lets wait and see,if Ba lungu could make the timing changed , a magic miracle ? zambian would not agree , life has become very very hard each and every minute , its only Ba lungu does not know .

  5. Please don’t worry. He just want you to be happy because yesterday when mad max Chama said the opposite you were all sad. You are always thirsty for a chance to insult Lungu and here it is.

  6. I sometimes wonder, is it him speaking or vodka. This is a guy without any vision and suddenly he is so popular he can beat any opponent.

    What a sham! Lets have a snap election and see where you are at in terms of popularity.

  7. “Clause 35
    (4) A person assuming the office of the President in accordance with this Constitution shall, unless —
    (a) he resigns his office;
    (b) he ceases to hold office by virtue of Article 36 or 37; or
    (c) the National Assembly is dissolved;
    continue in office until the person elected at the next election to the office of President assumes office.”
    And I think for the general elections to take place, the National Assembly will be dissolved.

    • Each National Assembly has a life of 5 years. The current one expires in 2016. Lungu might want to continue being President without Parliament. No wonder Chama Ch¡kala wants a one party state.

  8. Crazy talk.Another Burundi.Power is really sweet.Whats wrong with African presidents?No vision but they want to go on.Is it the advice from association with Mugabe?According to his answer in Maputo one can tell that hes much interested in holding elections in 2020.Pls we need development and not waste our energy on debating such selfish issues.

  9. Ask Kaunda what had happened riots of 1986 don’t play with fire Lungu . Do the right thing I can see your vision less brains I thought your ministers were lying to me. How did you become a lawyer. And very primitive

  10. How can a country with such a presido develop, instead of truthful he is misleading pipo i never heard a debate whether RB was cheated.

  11. …..I think the President avoided commenting on a matter that is before the courts as that would have been sub judice, an offense at law. He therefore simply laid out the matter as it is being argued before the courts and in certain social/professional corridors. That is what I can ascertain from his language and he is right to put it in the manner that he did and goes to show his respect of the law and the judiciary. The best he could say was that it doesn’t matter if the courts rule one way or the other, the outcome of any resultant election would be the same – a resounding victory for him and the ruling party. I do not see what is wrong with such a statement as he is within his rights and does not turn him into a sponsor of the court action.

    • Kapolyo – Intelligent comment. Unfortunately, the bloggers and some opposition (Nawakwi) are so irrational. Let’s run to the Constitution – what does it say?

  12. excuse him please, he may have been talking under the influence of alcohol? I have not heard of any public debate on tenure of office apart from the chaps that the SG rubbished yesterday and as far as we are concerned we are voting for President in 2016, no Burundi rubbish in Zambia.

  13. No vodka involved, but it is mare lack of seriousness in ruling this country. The presidency has even gone to the ………….s who have no hert for Zambia. All we can say is let us have those willing to rule Zambia whether through cheating or whatever method, because as Zambians we do not know what is right for us. The main problem is illiterancy. For that I say LET LUNGU RULE ZAMBIA, FOR HE DERIVES PLEASURE IN RULING ILLITEARATES.

  14. “People have left churches to join politics because they want political power”. Lungu, are you referring to Father Frank Bwalya?

    By the way you still haven’t given him a job yet?

  15. This guy is very dull. He thinks the way he dribbled his colleagues in the PF constitution that is how he can dribble the Nation. Mwana this is a national issue and you will burnt to death.

    You should at the end PF constitution you dribbled us. The man is also busy trying to draw our attention from real economic issues like continuous black outs.

  16. This so called Vodka Lungu has become so big-headed. Already he is taking the Zambian people for granted. He thinks he has become so popular and can white-wash any contender in the presidential election. I think this chap has forgotten that he chanced the presidency and therefore needs to humble himself before the citizenry. Now he feels he’s on top of things and can say anything. Pride foo.ls a lot of people. Chagwa-Agwa, watch your tongue. Don’t be foo.led by the privileges you’re enjoying and think that you cannot be removed from your position. Don’t forget that there are revolutions where people just get angry and unceremoniously kick you out. It may sound adverse but it is an option and can happen, especially with the useless way the PF is governing the country. Be very careful.

    • That’s the problem. You always think whoever opposes your party is UPND. Some of us are just concerned Zambians and are not politically affiliated. We are rational people and debate on the basis of what we are seeing. So don’t cheapen the debate by being so narrow in your thinking. We are not like you.

    • it just shows that the pf dwafs the person they fear most is HH and UPND but whatever the case, the wind of change is blowing seriously across Zambia.

    • You would rather have the government that has brought about the worst inflation just cause you hate UPND? This is not about UPND. We are concerned about our welfare!

  17. Stop jibbering. You want to be in power until 2020 by hook or crook. We wont allow you to do that. There is a law to be followed by all of us

  18. Lungu has not answered a simple question put to him by Friday Musukwa. He just fumbled and brought irrelevant issues. Power is trully sweet and turns many to be hard core dictators. He is being trained by the crooked RB and he must be reminded that Zambians can be ruthless if he becomes careless on such issues. Elections shall be held next year, period.

    • That’s why he can not hold a press conference, he can’t express himself. It will just be jibberjabber

    • Because he is enjoying riding the presidential challenger at will, he is translating that to mean hard work. He is not concerned about the nose-diving diving economy and the plight of the majority Zambians.

      By the way, has he commented yet on chama’s unfortunate remarks against the Tongas and on the chap that was short at in Mulobezi?

      You see, I am none partisan, but these are paramount issues that concern us the citizens. We care more about peace, stability and prosperity in the country more than for one any one individual trying to twist the law of the land for their own benefit.

      We care about every Zambian and it is very disappointing that the Shepard has chosen to ignore the calls form his flock to at least show some leadership by condemning the indefensible actions for…

  19. Lungu is not joking, From the tone of his voice,he is behind the court issue. Lungu manipulated PF constitution, he dribbled Sampa using the courts of law. And now he is mentioning Mambilima who he gave a job for dribbling the elections which all of us saw. He is serious and that is what he is learning from his neighboring counterpart. If he does that,leave him to me personally. I will liberate my country and pass in the history books. He must be the most ***** of all.

    • You sound a danger man-a suicide bomber for that matter! You want to beat the crap out of his life?

  20. NO He is not a good president because he borrowed a lot of money and we do not know when we shall pay back

  21. The guy is failing in year 1, and somebody is suggesting giving him four more years. You are struggling in almost every field and you even say you are grooming somebody. Zambia the real Africa.

  22. We are geared for general elections next year and we shall not be dribbled. It is absurd to think otherwise. In any case, imagine President Lungu doesn’t stand next year and his party loses almost all their seats in parliament. What then? Will he still want to be Republican President? A lame duck President?

  23. Does it mean that Lungu cant interpret ourZambian constitution? This ceremonial president does not inspire any one if he can choose to be vague.

  24. Obviously ninshi nakanwa Vodka apa. This chap is just a caretaker president who’s vacating next year. He thinks we are too dull to think he’s not behind the petition. From the tone of his voice it’s clear is he’s behind it.

  25. @ Chosen one with USA flag.
    It means you’re not a regular here on LT, you would have noticed me way back with the Union Jack flag. Took up this pseudonym the moment Moyes was appointed. But that’s a petty issue, there are more important issues you need to worry about like contraction of debt. Besides it’s not a patented name, it’s in public domain. However, if you’re genuinely aggrieved, you can go and hire Robson Malipenga and sue me for impersonation

  26. From today and now, I have stopped supporting PF. Why can’t people learn to lead like Mwanawasa? He came out openly and said he did not want anybody to ask him to serve 3 terms, yet to date, LPM is the best presido Zambia has ever had. Mr President, please do not bring Burundi here?

  27. For once, Chagwa is right. We need to remedy this anomaly. We shud allow RB to finish his 5 year term, and later allow Chagwa to finish his, if you please. That’s the fair way to go.

    • Fairness and Constitutional legality are two distinct subjects.

      If we are going to accept “fairness” as “superior law”, then Goods Ten Commandments should take precedence over all other written laws (Constitution included).

      But then, who in the Christian Nation of Zambia (lol) will qualify?

  28. Iwe Lungu coka apa-palibe vaneme uchita atase-leave things to people who can run the country. Upumule monga mzako wakachasu RB

  29. So ambala eninama chabe na sata! Actually this needs some serious debating. If indeed a president was elected to finish the term for the other late president, then why did we have to vote when we could have just let some idioot carry on? I think we need to revise the law on this issue or is that someone had not interpreted the law correctly. Lungu is serving his five year term and therefore must be left to rule for that period. It is a pity that we never paid attention to this issue earlier. Bravo lawyers for bringing this up!

  30. Do not take this issue seriously ,Rabson Malipenga and his friend Simemeza stole money from civil servants. How does one deduct 10 per cent from K2400 and gets K800 from civil servants . I do not know which school this lawyer and his friend went to. The civil servants who went on voluntary separation from government in 1999 are more than three thousand [300], imagine how much money this thugs made from the money which was paid out in may this year. The majority up to now have not yet got their money. Today Simemeza has a Prado and a big house .

  31. Now Chagwa wants to fight RB”s battles! RB still feels he was cheated out of office? How about his self praises that he handed over power peacefully after an election defeat? Has lawyer Chagwa told him otherwise?

  32. This debate is interesting. If indeed Lungu is just finishing Sata’s term, is he going to get two terms of his own? If so he may end up ruling us for 12 years. Malipenga may have a point here. Besides which clause in the constitution are those opposing Malipenga using? Whichever way you look at it, the law seems to be on Lungu’s side.

  33. It is surprising that you continue yapping about the presidency you good for nothing innovative-less Kalingalinga University stone thrower graduates when in fact you can’t do anything about it. With or without the Constitution, the President, Minister or MP, I will always be busy looking for food for my family because none of these so called government officials will ever put food on the table for my
    family, let alone the Constitution. Who the hell told you that the Constitution will create jobs, put food in abundance in peoples’ tables with a lot of money in their pockets? You just have to work for it my friend.

  34. Ba Lungu mukwai, ala abakafwaisha akafulo kenu bengi, kubikapo nga ba Mmembe naba HH, nabambi. Nomba ulionse ale iwamisha nangu alikwata bukabololala nangula ubufi kwati ba Mmembe besu.

  35. Ba Chagwa , election 2016, not what you are suggesting 2020, they riot and destroy, the stable country, learn from Burundi baba.

  36. In a true democracy Lungu would never have won the 2015 election. In the real world he would have knuckled down and to do his work. Power is sweet and this why we are having this discussion about the 2016 elections. As a country we should be very careful. There are some characters in the ruling party who will want to hold onto power because they will be nobodies without PF.
    We should learn from this experience of choosing leaders that do not perform. We have done it a number of times and we miss opportunities of making this country great!

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