Kasandwe during a rally at Kalasa Mukoso school in Samfya
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said those not ready to welcome new members in the Patriotic Front are going against the building blocks on which the party was founded.
Mr lungu was speaking in Samfya yesterday after he joined the campaign frontline for the August 6 Bangweulu Constituency parliamentary by-election in which the PF is fielding Anthony Kasandwe.
He scoffed at individuals within the party that were tagging the PF as an entity that exclusively belonged to them and not open to new membership,citing late President Michael Sata’s political ethic of embracing everyone that wanted to join the party, President Lungu said the PF would not have grown had its founding leader believed in exclusivity.
He said there were many people that has said bad things about Mr Sata whom later joined the PF and had served in senior positions in the Government. “That was the type of leader Mr Sata was,” he said.
He also addressed the issue of reports that he was promoting regionalism while on the campaign trail for another election in Eastern Province.
He said some sectors of the public had chosen to misrepresent his ‘wako ni wako’ (what is yours is yours) statement and vilified him for it.
Referring to Mr Kasandwe, Mr Lungu said his statement was devoid of traces of regionalist connotations and had only been used to drive home the point that it would be easier to work with people that had stuck with the party for a long time as opposed to an opposition party candidate.
He asked the people of Kalasa Mukoso to always air their needs and grievances.
“An MP is the focal point that will the conduit that will ensure your needs are known and met by Government. So am urging you to vote for my young man here Anthony Kasandwe. If he fails in his duties let me know,” President Lungu said.
He told the crowd that had gathered for the rally that Mr Kasandwe could not afford to buy all their votes and they should instead vote for him based on the premise that he would provide quality leadership that would accommodate everyone.
He also took a swipe at individuals that thought success in politics and leadership was centred on material wealth and money. “Let me emphasize, I call such people fools and idiots,” Mr Lungu said to acquiescence from the crowd.
The growth of the party was supported not by money but the people who had organised themselves to ensure the party formed Government.
President Lungu had prior to the rally paid a courtesy call on Senior Chief Kalasa Mukoso and chiefs Mibenge and Kasoma Bangweulu.
Party and senior Government officials that had accompanied the president included Mulenga Sata, PF secretary general Davis Mwila, Luapula Proviince Minsiter Benson Kapaya and press aide Amos Chanda.
Kasandwe during a rally at Kalasa Mukoso school in Samfya
Kasandwe during a rally at Kalasa Mukoso school in Samfya
If he believed in what he was saying, he would be believable.
This s the worst of the worst leadership we have ever had in Zambia
Lord, what did we do to deserve such mediocrity. To have a president who in 6 months has never said or provided direction about the collapsing economy is perplexing. All his energies are geared toward winning the next elections. If you doubted Edgar when he said he had no vision, I hope he has cleared that for you, he meant it
The lazy bum has too much time on his hands…I wonder who does all his work maybe its RB!!
Calling citizens fools and idioits is just now too much mwee. This why Kambwili was saying that “Edgar alitumpa”.
WOW, Power and Plot ONE is sweet. Lungu looks polished and has a potty Now?? Guess he has upgraded from Jameson to John-Walker Blue or Chivas..
Make sure you drink now because come 2016, will be a sad story.. HH will be in Plot one..
I read all comments, nothing about PF candidate, but only against Edgar.
Journey to 2016. If you want to know who is winning next year’s elections since results for by elections. Money is not always every thing. Sata was telling us how he will solve our problems not these Zambians we are seeing.
The tribalism attack labelled at opposition is losing steam thus lets all prepare for the newly adopted attack since GBM’s crossing over of leadership in the opposition centred on material wealth and money. Opposition parties especially UPND who PF finds thorny in their ego will bear most of the brunt of the PF rhetoric thus counter measures must be instituted. This is free advice and must not be left to grow roots among the easily cheated electorate.
The man has no msg,and why call your people *****s,fools ?
What problems did Sata solve.We needto solve our own problems before someone solves them for us.No one will solve your problems…
Lazy bum Lungu… one has to look at his schedule in the past two weeks, past six months and one can see that this bum has not been doing anything apart from senseless travelling…the dull lazy bum will do anything to get out of office. You would think one would put national issues first before going for mere by election campaign as a head of state…what myopic leadership we have.
I wonder how the president would be spending his time or what else he would be doing if we had no by-election campaigns and traditional ceremonies.
I think the writer of this article misquoted the president. How can the whole lawyer fail to see that his explanation and justification of “wakko ni wakko” is void of logic. “That it would be easier to work with the people who had stuck with the party for a long time than a candidate from the opposition.” He doesn’t seem to realize that he is working with people from the opposition at the expense of the long serving PF members. Very soon he’ll be appointing more pipo from the opposition. Watch this space!
The last time i heard a zambian president publicly calls other politicians “*****” was in the 80’s during KK’s one party state.
Am sure he was referring to GBM and that other chap from some tribal party
I wonder how a president can take pride in calling his political opponents fools and *****s for whatever reasons. This man Lungu really sinks too low for a president. Since becoming president he has never issued any serious policy statement to address the many challenges the country is facing apart from befriending corrupt elements, insulting and threatening his imagined political enemies. 2016 Zambians should vote for a person who will bring back respect and dignity to the office and all Zambians. Abash to this mediocrity.
Some people will die of bitterness especially from a certain tribal party. It means ECL will never say anything without them insulting. Kano their eternal loser speaking then it’s okay….NO. So you want him not to campaign for his candidate and to remain mute. It must be very painful to always lose elections…I understand.
Dora bokosi, joined because sata, is no longer, he wouldn’t have toralated Dora bokosi to PF , Chagwa , stop laying. We don’t want you now.
PF is for everyone and progressive people. Thank your excellency for preaching peace and unity. Those that feel are are superior and wealthy from stolen money, why not take that money to your relatives? We know that your relatives are not as rich as you so help them and let PF work for the people and develop the nation at large.
This is a President who is honest, humble and busy working to develop ZAMBIA. The opposition have no chance in Zambia’s politics because what they have looking for has been found in Patriotic Front.
Viva President Lungu, viva PF,come 2016, at the rate of development in ZAMBIA, awe it will be a whitewash for PF and God truly loves PF for its Him who installed it to deliberate the ZAMBIANS.
What development other than massive kaloba borrowings ?!
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