Thursday, March 28, 2024

Flaws in the constitution breeds arrogant Zambian Presidents as evidenced by President Lungu- UPND

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PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu with former President of Zambia,Rupiah Banda on arrival at Solwezi AirportPRESIDENT Edgar Lungu with former President of Zambia,Rupiah Banda on arrival at Solwezi Airport

President Edgar Lungu’s campaign messages in both the Lubansenshi and Solwezi bye elections demonstrate clear testimony of an arrogant leader who basically demeans citizens because he is now too drunk with power.

In Lubansenshi, President Lungu kept on blackmailing voters on how he would not take development to the area if they did not vote for the PF candidate because he determines which resources should be taken to particular areas.

In Solwezi, Lungu has insulted the people of North-Western province, ridiculing them by saying that he does not care about losing the seat because he will still remain the President of Zambia whatever they decide to do.

[pullquote]In civilised societies, when leaders are being booed, they quickly listen to the people and start addressing their challenges[/pullquote]
This after Lungu earlier ordered his police officers to teargas the people of North-Western in Solwezi for showing displeasure with his poor leadership in the company of his mentor former President Rupiah Banda.

Lungu’s statements and actions confirm what we have been saying that Zambian presidents are too arrogant because of the flaws in our constitution where they singlehandedly decide which areas must be developed for political purposes against budget provisions, a situation that greatly contributes to the current budget deficit and economic meltdown we are experiencing now.

Lungu’s statements and actions confirm what we have been saying that Zambian presidents are too arrogant because of the flaws in our constitution where they singlehandedly decide which areas must be developed for political purposes against budget provisions, a situation that greatly contributes to the current budget deficit and economic meltdown we are experiencing now.

It is now all too clear that Lungu has no respect for both the people of Lubansenshi and Solwezi and does not believe in plural democracy where citizens can freely choose their representatives at various levels.

President Lungu also has no respect for the budget provisions because his statements assume that he can basically alter it at any time and do anything for his political survival, even if it means punishing and tear-gassing citizens who have the right to freely express their displeasure with his poor leadership.

It is clear that Lungu has finally adopted all the oppressive tactics and poor governance methods from his mentors Rupiah Banda and Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe who can use brutal force to suppress opponents, such as Rupiah Banda did to the people of Barotseland who he killed when they expressed their displeasure against him.

Booing is a democratic right by citizens to show displeasure against their leadership as even more powerful world leaders such as US President Barack Obama experience the same but they never resort to brutal suppression such as Lungu has done to the people of North-Western province who he tear-gassed.

In civilised societies, when leaders are being booed, they quickly listen to the people and start addressing their challenges, rather than brutally suppressing them as President Lungu is doing to our citizens now.

Stephen Katuka
UPND Secretary General

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Issued by: UPND National Campaign Centre, Lusaka

16 COMMENTS

  1. Power has gotten to Edgar’s head and he thinks he will be president forever. Edgar is going after next elections and if I were him, I would start making hard decisions which may be unpopular with PF cadres but good for the nation. For instance, can he stop all this PF violence and bring civility to Zambian politics. Edgar, what will Zambians remember you for?

    • Absolutely sublevel propaganda piece from Katuka struggling to learn the art of winning propaganda from an increasingly weak and distraught position of factional opposition politics. In vanity the man is belaborIng to fish out imaginations of disaffection and revolt with more self disconnecting narratives with zero retains in an era of rational actors. It’s time to go back to political theory, comparative politics, and campaigns and elections 101 to gain basics of electrifying politics. Who doesn’t know that the buckle stops at the water’s edge in presidential politics in any constitutional democracy? We are ready to debate and tutor sober and willing souls in fundamentals.

  2. Comment: How can lungu listen to the people when he knows he is dull. Good show by people of North Western. Kick him out katenu kyenu ba PF.

  3. The constitution cannot help curb arrogance but it could be strengthened to protect us from our stupidity when we elect leaders who pretend they are God given. That said I can’t see any of these human rights abusers giving a toss about any constitution especially when seeking re election.

  4. Ba UPND, which election will you win sure? Forget ever ruling Zambia. If I where in the opposition, I would rather just accept that Zambian people have rejected UPND and the only other option is to join them. The ruling party, PF is just to organized and too strong for all the opposition put together.
    As Sunday Chanda rightly pointed out the opposition have nothing to offer, no alternatives but just talking, which anyone can do. Indeed the people to vote PF out of power are not yet born.
    For now, its impossible for to remove PF from power because development is seen and felt everywhere. Eating will never end and its up to an individual to fend for themselves, which government world over feeds its citizen? There is none including America. Government is there to offer opportunities for…

    • There is no other way apart from the ballot and that’s what is called democracy. Just campaign hard and convince the masses by telling them what your party will do differently from what the current government is doing to mitigate the problems the country is facing, only then, shall the people vote for your party otherwise to portray that you are intelligent and insulting the current republican President, day in day out, the presidency will continue eluding your party leader for a long time to come.

  5. Mr. Katuka trying very hard to sound relevant. With this type of attitude you will not improve anything from where cool-headed late former SG left things.

  6. Tumfweko akalela nomba.
    Pf cadres commenting above are just too scared at the latest developments in Zambia.
    They are on the way to the mmd destination hence Lunga’s pertnership with rb.
    2016 ba pf kunya bebele.
    Rainbow and upnd must step up pressure.
    Kyawama efyo bakitile ba pf ku Solwezi.

  7. That’s it, OUR constitution! Abott is HISTORY in Australia -why? HE lost the frequency Kennethy! OUR CONSTITUTION IS THE PROBLEM. CHANGE IT AND U HAVE IT! Soooo NEAR and Soooo FAR. WILL MY COUNTRY MEET ME…?Sad ;8

  8. Edgar is just as useless as RB and his friend mugabe who advise him to rule people uselessly,how do u have a friend who is blank and foolish?look at these pretenders u picked the bible and sweared for good governance yet u are doing rubish.Edgar chapona lutuku.is it becoz u ar alwayz drunk with jermason?useless leader i have never seen before.

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