The Key stakeholders in the dialogue process have said that Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) is incapable of handling the dialogue process impartially.
Leading the charge at a media briefing held yesterday was Roan PF member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili who said that ZCID was incapable of handling the dialogue process impartially because it was an extension of the Patriotic Front.
“That ZCID is an extension of the PF, all of the people who are at ZCID are compromised and they are pro Edgar because Edgar has stolen too much and he’s able to buy people. So when he’s able to buy people, you cannot trust the dialogue that can be initiated by people that are in his pockets. So it is very unfortunate and some of us can only apologise to the Commonwealth on behalf of the Zambian people that we have a President who is very unreasonable. A President who can pretend to be a Christian and yet he’s not, a President who can pretend to be a democrat and yet he’s not, a President who can pretend to be humble and yet he’s a thief. But there is no humbleness in theft! So is this a man you expect to respect the Commonwealth?” Kambwili asked.
Mr Kambwili described President Lungu’s actions as a mockery to the Commonwealth and the entire international community.
“That was mockery, Lungu was mocking the Commonwealth. He was mocking the whole world that he can accept dialogue when in actual fact he’s not prepared to dialogue. Look at how they are treating the opposition, we can’t even be given police permits to hold meetings. I have been trying to hold meetings in my constituency and they refuse me but they go and give a permit to Steven Chungu who is Luanshya MP to hold a meeting in my constituency this Saturday. What nonsense! How can they allow Steve to hold a meeting in my constituency and deny me the owner? So tell them that as Steve holds his meeting, I will also be there at that meeting because I am the owner of the constituency,” said Kambwili.
And Charles Milupi asked President Lungu to stop playing games with the dialogue process. Mr Milupi observed that even President Lungu was aware that ZCID was incapable of handling the dialogue process.
“What we are looking for really is for the rule of law to return, freedom to attend and conduct meetings and we want a professional police state. Now, inspite of all these things that are going wrong, against all odds, On the 3rd of April last year, Mr Lungu arrested Hakainde Hichilema in the most brutal manner and charged him with treason. Some of us who sat in the court to witness what he was arrested for, realised how desperate our country had became. So when all these things were happening and we came in as opposition leaders to demand what was right and the Church came in, NGOs came in but can someone tell me where ZCID was? What did they say about Hichilema’s arrest? Did they come in and said that UPND is also a member of the ZCID? Did they ask Mr Lungu for dialogue? No! It had to take the Church and outsiders like General Obasanjo, it had to take the Commonwealth and Patricia Scotland to come in and demand Hakainde’s release,” said Milupi.
“We want to unite this country and Mr Lungu must stop playing games, so they must decide if they want to take part or not. But the advantage with the Commonwealth is that it’s an outside body, which is widely respected and it chose to handle the talks when ZCID was nowhere to be seen. So we want to come up with a solution that will give a new direction to this country. What Mr Lungu has done shows a lack of integrity and sincerity, because before Commonwealth got involved, Patricia Scotland had a meeting with Mr Lungu even before Hakainde released and he agreed that Commonwealth should table this dialogue and that’s why Professor Gambari got involved and created the timetable because he believed that both parties had agreed. Bu then when they are about to start now then Mr Lungu who is President says ‘no we don’t want you, we can do this by ourselves’. This shows lack of sicerity and lack of sincerity in a President is very worrying for a President and it shows that he has no direction.”
And UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema said that he was not surprised that President Lungu does not want the Commonwealth to facilitate the dialogue process because the PF has always been inconsistent.
Yesterday, the ruling Patriotic Front(PF) Women’s Chairperson reaffirmed the party’s position that any dialogue that would take place should be headed by the ZCID.
“We shall not allow dialogue to be super headed by someone from outside Zambia. Zambia is a sovereign country, Zambia is not at war, Zambia is a haven of peace. We have ZCID who are supposed to organize all political parties,” Hon Kapata said.
U can have your dialogue amongst yourselves u5s and leave out Edgar. Why would u want to talk to or impeach someone u don’t recognize. Too much tonga thinking…
PF and/or UPND should choose between DIALOGUE and IMPEACHMENT OF ECL – not both!!!!!!!!
The following countries would benefit from CW dialogue – Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe,Cameron, South Sudan, Somalia,Zaire,CAR, Nigeria,…. Just one of these rogue states will keep the CW busy for 10 years..
YOU PEOPLE WHO WANT DIALOGUE PROCESS TO BE CONDUCTED BY ZCID, CAN I FIRST ASK, WHERE IS THE PROBLEM AND WHO ARE THE COMPLAINANTS IN THIS CASE? IF UPND AND NDC SAY THEY WILL NOT BE PART OF YOUR DIALOGUE PROCESS, THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DEBATE ON? YOU PEOPLE ARE DULL IN YOUR HEADS. YOU LEAVE OUT THE COMPLAINANTS OF THE CASE AND THEN YOU DEBATE WITHIN YOUR SELVES IS THEIR NO SENSE IN IT. ALL THE SO CALLED POLITICAL PARTIES WHO ARE SPEAKING LOUDLY IN FAVOR OF PF OR LUNGU THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY MP IN PARLIAMENT EVEN A COUNSELOR AND THEN YOU SAY WE ARE A PARTY- A PARTY WITHOUT AN ORGAN OR OFFICE? KWANGALA AND MULIFIKOPO.
Dead End!
Am neither for nor against..but this I must say. Edgar is now proving that he is head of state !
@ Mutale, you mean by behaving like a dictator? if Edgar as you refer to him is a real leader let the people who want dialogue choose a non partisan group from the outside and THEN DIALOGUE WITH THEM AS A HEAD OF STATE SHOULD DO WITH DIGNITY .
We have not reached the level to call for outside interference. Kambwili has too much “talk time” in his mouth. Talking too much does not qualify one to Presidential material.
What’s there to talk about? If the lizard had won would he be asking for dialogue. Besides he’s set his dogs on Edgar for impeachment so what’s there to discuss. Kambwili says CID is an extension of PF isn’t himself PF?
Come on, be civil Your behavior should show maturity. I am sure you are a grandpa. Your words should reflect that age group. Can’t you reason without insults?
So what’s wrong with the language?
Firstly, NDC is not yet a member of the ZCID. Secondly, the committee within ZCID that comprises of political parties has been headed by upnd for the past 7 years. If the ZCID is incapable, upnd would be in a better position to explain why. Now it is no secret that the opposition’s agenda from 2015 has been to discredit every local institution so that the population can lose confidence and revolt, so there is nothing new here. Lastly, Kambwili looks very fit all of a sudden, when ACC come back next week, I hope he doesn’t fall sick again and poopoo this time pantu ni chi kuwe chena……Kwekwekwekwe
“DIALOGUE” WAS THE TERM THAT WAS USED OR COINED AT THAT TIME TO ALLOW ECL TO FREE HH FROM INCARCERATION. OTHERWISE THERE IS NO NEED FOR DIALOGUE BECAUSE THERE IS NO DISPUTE WHATSOEVER. WHAT WE HAVE ARE EITHER DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS, WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE IN A DEMOCRACY OR FAILURE BY THE LOSER TO ACCEPT THE EMBARRASSMENT OF DEFEAT FOR THE 5TH TIME. THE LAST TWO TIMES BEING TO THE SAME VICTOR. MANY AVENUES HAVE BEEN AVAILED TO THE PROTAGONISTS TO CLEAN THE PERCEIVED DIRT IN THE PLAYING FIELD. BUT ALAS, THE UPND HAS BEEN “WALKING OUT”. THEY RUBBISHED THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESS, THEY RUBBISHED THE BILL OF RIGHTS. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM, THESE ARE THE THINGS THEY MET AND ARE HAUNTING THEM. THE FAMOUS 14 DAYS COULD HAVE BEEN PERFECTED DURING THE CONSTITUTION MAKING PROCESS. THE SO…
-continued-…. THE SO CALLED “RIGHT TO BE HEARD” COULD HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENED DURING THE DELIBERATIONS ON THE BORs. THE ONLY DIALOGUE WE NEED CURRENTLY ARE DELIBERATIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR, HOW TO REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT, HOW TO IMPROVE DRUG SUPPLIES TO HEALTH FACILITIES ETC AND IMPROVE OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES. NOT DIALOGUE ON HOW TO CREATE A SHORT-CUT FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL TO HURRIEDLY GET INTO STATE HOUSE.
Infact ba upnd and ndc with milupi nashalaneka party tell as the agenda because even lungu has no craw of the agenda let your friend concentrate on working rather you wasting his time , God chooses so if you’re the list to lure wait your time will come
Sometime do not let out side people this is our Zambia we need to learn to sove our problems not someone to sove our problems
Not a matter worthy of my comment. If anger and insults is all some can bring to a debate, then you can’t have me.
It is amazing to listen to this dialogue process. HH and his team wants their own referee, ECL and his team also want their own referee. The only difference is ECL’s referee has worked well before in such processes and the constitution making process and HH’s referee though sponsored by the Commonwealth, he originates from Nigeria where I am sure everyone knows that it is associated with military rules and where issues of dialogue are not very common and corruption levels higher than Zambia. Therefore I would suggest to these guys to use the Church mother bodies. Each of them claim to belong to the church where all the people they want to lead belong.. Let’s wait and see.
You want to impeach some one whom you have refused to recognize, you want to discuss with a President you have refused to accept as your President.Then this MAN is PRESIDENT.My question is what is it that you want.
I am equally interested to know what is it that this dialogue is all about? Are we still going to dialogue basing on the 2016 general elections or it is the 2021