The 2021 Socialist Party Presidential candidate Fred M’membe has said that the third term debate is unnecessary and a waste of time.
Posti9ng online in a statement Dr M’membe said that there is no room for a third term under the current Constitution of the Republic of Zambia and anyone who has been elected to the office of President twice cannot be elected for a third time.
“This is the way things stand and it needs no further disquisitions,” Dr M’membe said before adding that those who thought they could change the Constitution through Bill 10 and give themselves a third term of office should simply accept defeat and that their game is over.
“There’s need for them to realize there’s no political leader who has had a career that is without its defeats. If we are serious when we talk about influencing the masses, about winning their good will, we must strive with all our might not to let these defeats be hushed up in the musty atmosphere of circles and grouplets, but to have them submitted to the judgement of all,” he said.
“That may appear embarrassing at first sight, it may seem offensive sometimes to individual leaders – but we must overcome this false feeling of embarrassment, it is our duty to the masses of our people and our country, ” he added.
Dr M’membe advised political leaders to avoid being, stiff-necked and totally refuse to yield, saying that yielding is legitimate and essential when the yielder is convinced that those who are striving to make him yield are in the right.
Indeed It is a waste of time, given that the constitutional court has made a ruling on this matter. It is just a loser’s excuse or scapegoat for losing.
There is a difference between the west culture and ourselves. Believe me, the western countries would not hesitate to resign if what they believe in failed. Eg. Failure of bill 10 would have made the minister and president resign. HH would have been nowhere near politics by now. We are different: we would want to impose ourselves even under very clear circumstances like being president twice or repeatedly being defeated. We have absolutely no conciousness.
I think the west develop a culture of trying even after failing. Many think that failure is part of success. For example attempts to reach planet Mars have been a mixture of disasters and triumphs. But they keep pushing, believing that one day man will colonize Mars. Failure is nothing more than giving up, refusing to fight on and simply lack of persistence.
The third term push will be more prominent from the PF as evidenced in the last few days as the bill 10 route is permanently closed. I wont be surprised seeing YALI putting more billboards pushing for a third term and one Tutwa perhaps promising to walk with clothes this time if their candidate is stopped by one formidable John Sangwa working with THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA at nomination time.
KZ, Who was the president of Zambia before 2016 = President Edigar Chagwa Lungu
KZ, Who was the president of Zambia after 2016 elections = President Edigar Chagwa Lungu.
Elected twice, sworn in as Zambian republican president twice.
My ancestors would have understood this perfectly well.
Why are you trying to convince a proper dandala head. Economy and governance are all destroyed.
Still living in denial. Kadansa doesn’t qualify to stand again. No third term for meno-meno plz.
Indeed for once I agree with this chap but dullards want to go ahead nt even the Concourt Judges will help Lazy Lungu…you just can misinterpret the law.
But in the midst of vivid economic management failure were inflation is double digit, unemployment is at it highest, reserves are depleted, the exchange rate is a historic worse off, debt is choking, and everything else is in downward spiral ever since PF took office and even before covid, why would one even think of seeking a third term. This defies logic. I don’t have a personal issue with the man but it clearly defies logic. To come back and come and do what?
The question that is always pertinent in judicial cases is whether the bench is ORIGINALIST, REVISIONIST or downright dumb (or bribed). An originalist bench will look at precedent and try to enter into the minds of the people who crafted the law. Revisionists will always try to contemporarise the law and apply the modern context. Then, there are those who will just pander to the wind and sing the tune of the highest bidder. I hope that the later are not found in Zambia (most unlikely, since they are appointed by the President and do not have security of tenure). There is no question of third term indeed, but there is the question of LUNGU’S eligibility to be a candidate in 2021. The Concourt did not rule on this, they postponed their ruling, saying that Lungu had not filed his candidacy…
The Women, disabled and the youth, please feel free to participate in any political affairs in the country including offering yourselves for political office, don’t be misled to say because bill 10 is gone your futures are doomed. The current constitution offers you the opportunity and there is no restriction what so ever, just be vibrant, forceful, show that you are leadership material, show up and fight for these things like every body else does. The onus is not on the constitution, the onus is on political parties to adopt you. Our as Zambians jobs will be to see which parties don’t have the political will to adopt the 3 groupings and we will punish such parties at election time using the vote. Period.
Hi Everyone!
The Concourt has interpreted the law in line with the constitution and therefore what are the opposition affraid of if ECL has failed. Why not beat him with the ballot paper. SATA beat President Banda clean despite MMD campaigning heavily. Don’t forget the PF are the majority, change their leader and they change HH whether a thief of privatization can be allowed to stand as President of the Republic of Zambia. In both cases the court will hear after 21days and in the end, the Concourt already made a ruling in favor of ECL and if HH is found guilty especially Livingstone Hotel, he may be disqualified. So whoever starts the fire should be ready to accept thereafter.
Infact a law can be passed to push the interests of women, the disabled and the youth as it was in bill 10. Its only that in bill 10 there were other things in there that did not look good. But the third term should die PERMANENTLY.
Dr Mmembe concurs, “……anyone who has been elected to the office of President TWICE cannot be elected for a THIRD TIME”, simple and straight forward.
There are those who understand that the current President did not appear before any court for eligibility, I mean those who understand how the law operates but are misleading others. There are those who out of ignorance do not know that for a court to pass a judgment on any person, that person should be before court. Please understand such technicalities, courts do not pass judgements in abstract. Now you have learnt from me, go and teach others and stop confusing each other. Go and check if they are any court records that pronounced him eligible.
I hope Peter, Dan, Andrew, Spuki who want to appear more PF than PF members themselves whereby some PF members have voiced our their frustrations on these characters links to PF when they are not. I am told even today one Peter Chanda who has a lot of time on his watch had yet another press conference lamenting on the bill 10 loss and passing verdict that Edgar is eligible when there is no court in Zambia that has ever passed such a verdict.
Why is upnd scared of lungu standing ? They call lungu useless and yet tremble at the thought of him standing. Now if you are scared of a man you call useless does that not make hh worse? Worse than a useless man= a f00lish incompetent hyena. Would you not agree ?
Khumalo Mthunzi November 4, 2020 At 1:07 pm
” The Concourt has interpreted the law in line with the constitution and therefore what are the opposition affraid of if ECL has failed. Why not beat him with the ballot paper……”
That’s like saying why can’t teachers have consensual sex with their adult pupils ????
It’s the principle badala…..
What’s laughable is that small dullard minds think this is between UPND and PF…the constitution of the land is bigger than your small parties.
Nobody is scared of Lungu. It is just that the law does not allow him to stand. Why should we allow lawlessness. Infact he is the easiest person to beat looking at how he has mismanaged the economy. Should we allow him to stand because he is the easiest candidate to beat? No, we should just follow the law, just like the law said two thirds must vote yes for Bill 10 to pass in parliament, so should his candidature. Law, law, law….
Who can be scared of him when he was even wired by HH in the last elections
He must improve on the quality of his advisors, just imagine the guy on this blog being an advisor to a President. After all there are a good number of people in PF who are capable to change our fortunes than him, he is blocking them, the status quo will continue and the kwacha will be K50 to a dollar soon.
Hahaha maria and realist you have made me laugh. What law are you talking about when your demigod is dancing around and trying to avoid a legal inquiry into his misconduct during privatisation? My friend can you fuseke from here !!!!
@Honest,excellent analysis.I’m shocked
even the likes of Ouattara went for third term.africa is dumb.presidents don’t make a nation great,systems do!we should build systems not fight become presidents/ministers.shame!
No one is scared of Lungu’s candidature next year. People simply do not want to breach the constitution. Problem with the PF is that they are so much used to breaching the constitution such that they do not care anymore. Fear of losing power all for the numerous crimes they have committed. Even their most intelligent lawyers know this, that their candidate is not eligible
If one is as blank as ka Kaizar, then expect very little progress in the country, the guy is busy blogging instead of telling his vision less boss that boss wake up, kwacha is going to K25
Kaizar in Mbuzi
There was a time when Fred spoke in his post newspaper and the whole country shook. When Fred and co. picked up on the MMD/FTJ debate about him continuing as MMD president, Fred had a field day destroying FTJs legacy. It’s 2020 and Fred is just but a shadow of himself after getting on the wrong end of incumbent president and Sata protege Chagwa Lungu. Your fake kingmaker voodoo will never work in zambia, Fred. YOUR OPINION DOESN’T MATTER, IWE KAPALA.
Khumalo Mthunzi
Lungu is not RB.
Lungu is willing to kill to retain power. He has done so through his proxies from the day he harangued the PF convention. Today, his followers are calling people cockroaches and he is NDWII. It shows that he approves the message. Don’t be fooled by what he says. Look at what he does. Even if the opposition won the election, Lungu is not going anywhere. He has ensured his hold on power by bribing all the senior security chiefs. Nhoma who was independent at Intelligence is gone.
Now we hear the PF has written to the 3 MPs who did not vote for bill 10 in parliament to exculpate themselves, I hope the speaker will protect these guys because they are supposed to vote with their conscious and not what the party says, so assuming these 3 were to debate the bill, they should have been debating in favour of what they did not believe in. If the UPND MPs follow instructions to walk out of parliament they are condemned that they are following party interests instead of national interest, so for PF there is no national interest, the MPs should just vote for what the party wants. Very autocratic party this PF Party
Technically the same constitution that’s says a president elected twice can’t stand a third time also says each term is for 5 year. After ecl wa elected the first time, He didn’t seat for the full five years. There is no where where it says if elected because of the death of a sitting president, the elected candidate has to only seat for the remaining years. so technically constitution failed to be upheld then. Pf lawyers you can argue this point but lawyers in Zambia are not efficient hence people and firms hiring external lawyers from sa and UK.
@. Honest, How about losing five times as presidential candidate didn’t that a good reason to resign and give others a chance. I Mmembe what are you talking about. A term for the purpose of counting is 3 years and above anything below that is zero. So that being the case Lungu served 1 year and 6 months that was left by MCS. The rule of natural justice is that you cannot panish the person who rescued our country when the incumbent president died. It is a very very wrong interpretation of the law to suggest that edigar wants the third term.
@Kaizar Zulu
You remind me of some politicians in the past days who used to sing songs for the President even when the President has completely missed the way . I wouldn’t want to have individuals like you on my leader as I will never be corrected.
To stand and lose or not to stand , choose one ! LOL
stiff-necked fools
ati shani naimwe. You want my adress as well and phone number
To stand and lose or not to stand ! Choose one ! LOL !
Kawalala akamba iywe Fred kan chi kala why cant you shut up naiwe plaese
When is the commission of Inquiry on privatization