OPPOSITION ATTEMPTING TO MOUNT PRESSURE ON PF THE WRONG WAY
Lusaka, Zambia, 5th August 2017 – The Patriotic Front is calling on Zambians from all walks of life and across the political divide to demand for mature and issue-based politics in providing checks and balances as opposed to the on-going petty and character assassination vibes dominating our political space. Opposition leaders do not have to insult and use unpalatable language when addressing His Excellency President Edgar Lungu for them to be heard.
Our counterparts in the Opposition can still provide checks and balances to the PF administration without engaging in character assassination, foul language and insults. In their efforts to upgrade and appear relevant, Zambia’s Opposition is borrowing from some young, foulmouthed and uncultured politicians in the Region, wrongly believing that belittling Presidents is a hallmark of creating impact.
Patriotic Front believes scrutiny and criticism by the Opposition and other stakeholders, when done objectively and in good faith, are essential in creating the desired understanding among citizens, which results in either support or opposition to Government’s programs. This is the democracy we chose for ourselves. In this regard, PF will continue with the tremendous task of informing and alerting the Zambian people of the direction, decisions and challenges, including setbacks on the way. Not only will we acknowledge problems as and when they exist, but we will go further to consider short and long-term solutions.
PF will not renege from its pledge to take Zambia to her land of promise captured in our national anthem – ‘A land of work and joy in unity, all one, strong and free’. As Zambia’s leading democracy, PF believes in debate and criticism if the its Government of the People, for the People and by the People, is to succeed.
On this score, PF is throwing a challenge to the Opposition to debate issues and challenges in the nation, without becoming personally disagreeable. Our political engagement should not be about specializing in politics of placation, insults and character assassination without providing alternatives. Unfortunately, this attitude by the Opposition like they know it all makes them part of what is wrong with today’s politics. If democracy were a vehicle, the Opposition is the spare tyre. Unfortunately, Zambia’s spare tyre has multiple punctures and deflated.
Lastly, we wish to dispel the notion that Patriotic Front instigates the Zambia Police to make any arrests is false. We do not think individual politician’s propensity to come into conflict with the law should be blamed on the ruling party. Patriotic Front in Government understands its responsibilities very well and will not abuse institutions of the State just to settle political scores.
Issued By:
Sunday Chanda, Media Director for PF – Party Headquarters, Lusaka
You want the opposition to be dancing dunnuna reverse with lungu only to legitimise lungu fake democracy in the eyes of the world while you ban them from holding rallies or fund raising events and press conferences …
How is ‘ ni zambia ya ba wiso’ an insult?
In the same are you saying the former president by saying ‘ni mwana wako’ was insulting people?
The barometer and moral high ground must be set by the ruling party by being above petty politics. We are yet to see that maturity in PF.
Kumbali kutukwa imfumu!
I am PF but let me advise the party leadership regarding the opposition. Going by African politics, an opposition party will never work with the government of the day and will always oppose what ever the govt is doing wether good or bad. The mistake you can make as a party in power is to pay much attention to what the opposition is saying daily. Arresting opposition leaders each time they say something not appealing will just bring down the presidents credibility and the party at large. Trying to remember how Sata opposed Mwanawasa to the extent that Mwanawasa developed grey hair within a year in power. How about how Chiluba grilled KK and the insult he received during MMD campaigns.
If it walks and quarks like a duck its duck. If he does not accept criticism he is a dictator plain and simple.
Why should a dictator be respected when he has no respect for elders?.
Lungu is f00lish and and a coward.
Tell lungu to allowe opposition to his lead ship if he is a true leader who won elections as he claims….tell him to stop jailing , harassing and sacking people he sees as threats to his presidency …what is he afraid of if he won elections. ?..?
The opposition are not allowed to hold peacfull rallies or fund raising events, are not allowed to meet their supporters and are not allowed to hold press briefs and PF want the to put a stamp of approval on their fake democracy ??.
We are not that d.ull…….
My verbose friend with your statement your are actually sayimg you are speaking for the government. You my friend are only a propagandist for your party. You are DICTATING how your government should be critiqued. Read what you wrote then ANALyse what you really said whilst try to sound intelligent
Oh yea! Can you fools explain to the Zambian people why Mr. Chishimba got arrested then…because everyone watched his press conference he was telling the truth” the truth hurts” The only thing the PF is doing is abusing the authority of the office the law will visit you as soon as PF loses…
Thus boy Chilufya is very silly and stupid and i thought before pf came into power we had mmd
MMD has hijacked PF becoz they saw an opportunity in a VISIONLESS lungu.
RB is the real president NOT the Evil drunkard called lungu.
The following True PF are either expelled or sidelined.
Chishimba Kambwili
Guy Scott
Mulenga Sata
Mwenya Musenge
Miles Sampa
Christine Kaseba
Are all out.
Dora Siliti, sure-sure, someone who once insulted Sata
Mumbi Phiri
Sunday Chanda
Bowman Lusambo, an MMD die-hard
Frank Bwalya, someone who once called Sata Chumbu Musololwa.
Felix Mutati
Emmanuel Mwamba
Nkandu Luo
Oh dear look who is talking and what he is talking!
This dude wants to tell the Opposition how to criticize him and his god President. Who tells people how they should criticize them? This is very strange. He is talking but what he saying doesn’t make any sense.
This is the guy who jumps up and issue immature statements full of barbaric foul language every time someone criticizes his boss and his PF… whether the person doing criticizing is based locally or abroad, he will always start shouting unpalatable. And he has the nerve to say the opposition should be mature. These guys really must be living in Utopia land or is it LaLa land.
And about the PF dictating to the Police, well he really thinks we are stnpid. Here is a tip for you Sunday Chanda: how come the police only…
continued…
And about the PF dictating to the Police, well he really thinks we are stnpid. Here is a tip for you Sunday Chanda: how come the police only arrests those who politicians who are either in the opposition or have fallen out of favour of your boss Lungu? Are they the only law breakers and those in the PF and govt are the only ones who are law abiding? Does that make sense to you at all?
Negro please! Just enjoy your power and your loot of national coffers.
@Spaka, why do you always talk of the world, every time , no the world must see, now the world must see … What world? Why has your world failed to see blood shade in Congo, one man show in Zimbabwe, the Somali conflict, CAR, name it the list is endless. Grow up man, Zambia is about us Zambians to reason amicably, preserve it , develope it and live in it side by side with a common agenda . Stop the childish calls man, America has its flaws ,Russia, UK, no nation will ever be a saviour of another. Throw Zambia into a blood bath, you are on your own . All America will do is supply you with weapons so that you can maximize the Carnage of your own bro. Stop worshipping the world , the potent power is in you peaceful hands and in your words of wisdom
You try and oppose lungu in Zambia, you will be thrown in jail or violently assaulted . ….the police , judiciary can do nothing and actually help in brutallising any opposition to Zambia.. ..what can anyone do in Zambia?? Nothing only the international community who lungu depends on can stop him brutallising democracy….
Opposition does not mean war in the nation, or does it mean that we should not adhere to the laws,, if a father in one home does not punish his son for coming late and the father punishes his son for coming late should not mean that he is a bad parent, and yet both parents knows that it is bad behavior, if MWANAWASA was insulted and he ignored it should not mean that we should insult all leaders, insulting leaders is not part of democracy, Lungu will put all of them in prison be careful.
Don’t compare what happens in a home to ruling a country. Zambia is not an Island. We have see leaders such as Obama insulted, even now Trump is being insulted. I am not supporting insulting our leaders but I am trying to say pa nsaka tapula fipuba. The danger with arresting anyone who talks I’ll of our leaders is that they will become victims and victims always receive sympathy. I know our great president Lungu has the capacity to forgive people great capacity for that matter becoz he has done it many times.. So the people around him should not over react. We want our President to finish his terms honorably. He has fought all olds and warn so his reputation should be protected. I hate it when I hear the international media saying Zambia is sliding into dictatorship.God bless Zambia…
They have no talking points! They are Under Fives.
1.2 While your point is valid, try to obstruct the Presdent’s traffic here and you wanna see! Under Fives need sense or someone to put sense in them! Look at how NEZ, JJ or HachiLombe think! The same way as HH.
I haven’t read the statement from this man. I can’t. I supported the PF but it is now a useless party. They organised some demonstration s in Kitwe today for 2021 Lungu. They looked fuulish. An embarrassment to themselves. Is this the party I was spending sleepless nights over?? BA Lungu.What kind of leadership is this? Bwafya!
Throwing a fellow citizen into jail because you want to show that you have balls is not rational or proper in any civilized nation. You guys in the PF are not fit for public office, and you are busy stealing our national resources with impunity. As far as I am concerned, all the top 100 PF members are thieves and must be jailed without mercy.
Current Zambian Politics leaves much to be desired. Particularly ignorant, backward Opposition savages. The reason why we have this problem us because of the dark eye and minds of African politicians in general when they are in Opposition. It seems they can’t rest in-between elections once they have lost. Because most of the Opposition Party Presidents do not even have to qualify by winning a seat in Parliament, they spend all their time flexing their mouth muscles being scandalous for attention.
It’s worth to change the constitution and Party Registration rules to put a condition that a party head must be a member of Parliament. That is they must only operate through parliament. We have problems from those that can’t win elections let alone a seat for themselves.
Also the constitution needs to change….you need to ban any one with a sackable or jailable offence ever being MP or President.. that way crookes will be weeded out.
Character assassination? If you are honest and trustworthy leaders, you don’t need to worry. Just examine yourselves Mr Sunday Chanda.