OPPOSITION political parties have welcomed President Lungu’s call for peace, unity and an end to politics of violence.
UPND says all well-meaning Zambians should support the President’s call for peace, unity and an end to political violence.
UPND deputy spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo said opposition political parties do not exist to insult the Government.
“It is time we started championing issues that bring about development and not insults. Any call for peace and unity must be supported,” Mr Lifwekelo said.
He said all stakeholders should take responsibility and show leadership.
“This is a timely call for all those who are in Government and those who are in opposition,” he said.
Mr Lifwekelo said the issue of name calling is not the way to go but that politicians should practise politics which add value.
He said it is important to give praise when it is necessary adding that opposition political parties do not exist to criticise.
And NAREP president Elias Chipimo said calls of peace and unity are welcome. “The President himself should be in the forefront and demonstrate a culture of peace and unity. As politicians, we should tell our cadres who perpetrate violence to stop doing so,” he said.
And Christian Democratic Party president Daniel Pule said the President should be commended for calling for peace and unity.
“We believe in politics of peace and not insults. We hope that all Zambians regardless of their political affiliation will support the President,’’ he said.
And Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) Secretary General Antonio Mwanza said the President should walk the talk because as a leader, he (President Lungu) should be in the forefront of initiating ways of promoting peace.
And MMD President Nevers Mumba said the President alone cannot initiate peace but that he should involve other players like opposition political parties.
And hundreds of youths in Lusaka yesterday held a peace rally at Freedom statue in solidarity of President Lungu’s continued call for peaceful politics.
The rally was organised by PF Youths for Peace chairperson Eddie Gowa.
The youths adhered to the party’s banning of wearing berets and were orderly during the event.
They sang and danced to pro-PF political songs and showered praises on President Lungu’s style of governance.
Dubbed ‘youths unite for peace’, the rally took stock of President Lungu’s abhorrence of violence.
How can there be peace when Charity Katanga has declared wiping out UPND from Lusaka? Edgar should start by wiping out the ZP, the vicious team he formed when he was minister of Home Affairs to fight Chitimukulu together with Sata.
@Nastradamus, your mind of thinking is dirty, how can you attack the police when they are supposed to bring law and order? That kind of thinking will make your under5 to remain in opposition for life. Zambia isn’t for gangsters but for piece full people. I think you don’t even have relatives in Zambia no wonder you can post anything since it doesn’t bother you.
Yes indeed. It is the Police who have been a let down – aiding & abetting violence!
Most appreciated lets see a new page been opened and enforcement of the law by presidential directives to ZP IG_action now
I thought Charity Katanga made a conditional statement, that if upnd cadres continued to be unruly and violent she would wipe them out of lusaka. I read two things in Charity’s statement.
1. She would wipe out UNRULY and VIOLENT upnd cadres, not the peaceful ones
2. It is her duty to protect innocent citizens of lusaka
Now how can any Normal person quarrel with that? And you even borrow the Past News tactics of twisting straight forward statements as if you are illiterate and cannot read English.
The Zambia Police Service partisan bias in law enforcement is well documented over the years. Who does not know that ruling party cadres have broken the infamous public order act with impunity and the police have looked the other way BUT the same police have arrested opposition party leaders for holding indoor party meetings with their members. Hon. Masebo has just been arrested etc. Let the police be professional as in developed civilisations and Zambia can easily be an oasis of peace. Yes, for the police stand on partisan grounds inspector Katanga may not mean what she is saying. Still sounds as if she is threatening UPND from a PF cadres side. We still remember the panga wielding PF cadres in Cairo road and the church of God attacks in Matero, many marches by ruling party cadres…
United plunderers for national development style of politics is backwards. How can you exhault violence and insults and make them too on the agenda as best tools to winning hearts and minds for the electorates. You scare away potential voters With your style of insane politics. And who is the party spokes person.?.
clearly, there some on this blog that cannot and will not understand that the sentiments expressed by charity are partisan and I doubt that Mr Lungu means what he says for he has not lead by example when PF cadres attack non PF followers. shame on only of you for following blindly. by the way, I am nonpartisan
Really, you are also nonsense though nonpartisan!
But why should the freedom statue grounds be abused for political rallies by a particular party…. It’s only in Zambia were you a political party meeting is held at state house
When a party that starts a war realises that it is losing strength it only becomes a wise thing to start talking peace. I am NOT referring to President Lungu here but to violent PF cadres/bloggers. The rise of UPND to the occasion: that is to fight back physically has made the PF bullies realise that they will one day be embarrassed.
Yes, the President is supported for calling for peace but if he refuses to deal with unruly cadres like Ms Mumbi, Mr Chama et AL his plea for peace runs hollow. Making inflammatory statements against other tribes and party leaders annoys their supporters and leads to more violence. The party in power should lead by example. PF has never been known to be peaceful.
The key word is reconciliation. this means a fresh start. can we begin afresh. lets not refer to the past.
Thank you ba Mwansa, some of the bloggers have araldite brains stuck in the past. Why should we bring up what cantakerous Mumbi and Chama did in the past? We need to look forward to better politics from PF, UPND, FDD, NAREP, ADD, et al. Nawakwi has been caustic, but that is not for today, it is in the past from now onwards we would like to have a peaceful political atmosphere. No insults, no dimining each other and no wild allegations please. Just sober issue based politics from all.