President Edgar Lungu has not been issued with an invitation to attend the presidential debate on the Lusaka based private station, Diamond TV.
In a statement to the media, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe says the television station did not formally invite President Lungu for the programme, and as such the President will not attend the debate.
Mr Chipampe said neither his office nor the Office of the Principal Private Secretary has received any correspondence requesting the Head of State to appear on the programme.
“Therefore, President Lungu has not been officially invited to any debate thus far and hence would not be attending the debate. State House would therefore like to advise organisations seeking to have the President at their functions to follow official channels of communication,” he said.
Diamond TV has been advertising the debate which will be televised tonight, purporting that President Lungu will be among other aspiring presidential candidates set to participate in the programme.
HOW CAN THAT BE ? ANYWAY WHAT VALUE ?
Such events needed to be planned and organised way before campaigns started.
Moreover all we will be hearing is “I acquired wealth through cattle farming and my parents gave me cows at a very tender age”.
Probably your parents only gave you a pair of male monkeys which have since ran away into the forest!
Don’t chicken out, Zambians deserve to know what your plans are and why they should vote for you. It’s a lame excuse, as ECL is known to not attending such debates.
President Lungu cannot even debate with anyone, actually many people would have been shocked to see him debating other candidates. It is a pity that our humble president is not humble enough to articulate issue and explain his agenda and vision for the country and the masses. The president lacks charisma and zeal. PF should just send someone to represent the president to save face. All those people who have been having the virtual meetings can represent the president well, he can just give instruction period!
You are absolutely right .
He is scared of being asked how he accumulated $2.3 million in 18 months of office……..48/48……mukula……FIC reports
And why he has let zambians get terrorised by his PF thugs….
As if he would if an invitation was delivered. We have a shy President. I even wonder how he used to present cases in court. Oh, I see, he worked in a law firm where other lawyers are at hand to help. Lungu has never answered a single question from a proper Zambian journalist ever since he became a politician.
A friend of mine wrote something interesting. When you sit an exam, your paper is marked according the answers you have given and not what you intend to answer in the next exam. PF are to be judged on what they have already done. They should not be saying what they are going to do. The opposition parties are the ones to sell their manifestos. Zambians have already marked the PF paper. Grade is D+. Comment: Could do better, with the help of extra tuition.
Hakainde Hichilema did not attend Kenneth Kaunda’s funeral because he was not invited by government. Most people saw it fit and congratulated him for staying away than gate crush like Kambwili did.
Edgar Lungu feels belittled by first seeing adverts publicly that he is attending when he is sidelined.
Still HH can have his debate on tonight while ECL can also be interviewed later. These are JOB interviews for next 5 years’ contract.
Lazy Edgar can’t debate for $h#t maybe if it was dancing competition…I don’t know how he even got his law degree.
I agree with ECL, do mot waste time debating with nonentities who have nothing to offer. Do not argue with a fool, otherwise you might be mistaken as one too. Alebwelelapo!!!!???
He doesn’t want to Faint imwe
He was invited as Party President. The invitation was sent to the Party SG
Pamunyoko Sammy is also not attending.
Which embassy is Chipampe going to work next week? Or is assured to be HH’s press secretary?
Pamunyoko is also not attending
HE SHOULD NOT DARE TO DO SO. WHO CARES IF HE DOES OR NOT? DOES HE EVN KNOW HOW TO DEBATE?
The president cannot attend something he was not invited to. Do you know the amount of planning for security reasons that is involved ? Eagle one cannot just attend last minute things. Common men like hh can
Lusaks timed thanks for moderating me but my IT guys have found a way to bypass your useless systems. Good evening
The incompetent thug can’t debate nor does he have the English grammar to talk about anything.
He is a crook/thief by profession
Once HH is in power all borders should be closed and put these PF thugs under house arrest. They have become billionaires over night through stealing/ bribery and corruption.
When your bootlickers stop to bet their houses on your victory, just understand that they have felt the heat. Zabwino palibe. Reality has dawned. Do you remember that time we reminded you about the 42 million dollars wheelbarrows and you responded ati utupuba tuletalika? This is the right time to say that again
COWARD!
Edgar China Lungu is a terrible speaker, without any charisma. If you ever heard him hold a speech, then you know what I am talking about. If he would come to any debate, he would look like the fool he really is!
Let spokesmen for both parties debate.
Surely how can someone who has never debated with anyone for more than 7 years debate now …he would start a brawl with Fred Membe and Kalaba. The man is used to be surrounded with bootlickers and sly characters like Zingiman and Findlay.
The truth is that since ECL became President he is afraid of debates and Interviews. Whenever Journalists asked him sensitive questions by chance his answer is always That’s political, he has never responded to serious questions with answers deserved, he has always dodged. I knew he wasn’t going to show up. Courageous leaders like events like that to show leadership and explain things they plan to do for the citizens they wish to represent. I dont think leaders that showed up, showed up accidentally, am sure invitations were sent and ignored or thrown away, ECL is one leader who is always delegating everything, he has failed even to say no himself, had to send Chipampe to speak on his behalf. We need leaders that lead not leaders who delegate everything
It’s not that he was not invited. He chickened out even in 2016. This clueless guy has nothing to tell the Zambian people. He has had no vision for the past 6 years for our country. He just needs to start preparing for his prison stay. The worst president of all time in the whole of Africa.
We need to include a clause in the constitution that makes it mandatory for Presidential candidates to participate in at least two public debates on TV or radio…we can not have these visionless bums like Lazy Lungu getting in via the back door. If a leader is incapable of holding his own in a debate how can he host a Press conference.
His government has clearly failed, why was he even invited to these debates, to come and say what. Even on his own, he clearly failed to call for a press conference to articulate his economic agenda, so how can he manage to respond to those debate questions
Its actually good to exclude Lungu to make the ground more level.He’s been using state resources and disguise of “working visits” to get more voter reach than other candidates.
@ Tarino Orange, Hellooo! Just my thoughts as well. In the USA it is mandatory that presidential candidates participate in three (3) public debates one of which is held before an audience of intellectuals (university) who participate by asking the candidates questions. After every debate TV analysts disect the debate and the hits and misses of each candidate! Also a president must be made to give press conferences at least every three months!!!
Packing i guess
President to attend debate and say what, let’s be serious
Obviously to be moderated by overambitious Costa Mwansa a former Muvi TV nuisance.
Those debates are for kids like h² and his rank and file – all opposition leaders.
I wonder what you can get from u5 h². I would have loved to see this u5 and Mmembe on the same poduim. Last time NW outrightly beat the hell out’a h² on the 2016 impotent and meaningless similar presidency debates.
Adds no value.
WISE MOVE AS HE REALLY IS LACKING IN ORATORY SKILLS
It was a good debate and for once we could listen to the mindset of some of these leaders. Costa should do a head to head with HH and the President so that we can hear from them. The Zambian people deserve to know their leaders.
In as much not being a fan of the once Mighty PF and its candidates at all levels it does not make sense to invite ECL to a debate at this crucial time when the campaigns have gained momentum. This should have been done well in advance, there is still no time for such academic exercises. Which politician is going to waste time appearing on TV instead of being live in the field.
Invited or not invited pa zed incumbents don’t participate in presidential debates. Si nkani yobisa
Lungu should have asked Professor Lumumba to teach him elocution skills not just drinking Jameson for 7 years. Clueless Ed!
If I was Isaac Chipampe I would ban the photo above. He looks dazed; like his boss
He is chickening out mambala wa kantu Chagwa, ayopa kugwa! Imagine he is on the debate and all of a sudden like at the Independence Stadium muntu ni kulukutu pansi Nike’s mulomo ki twaa lufulo lwa kanono! Apwee, usabile shauten liphyeha la mukalani yo.
Wait bane bakalusa.
So you think a republican president can just see an advert on a tv and say let me go am invited for a debate? Bakaluusa just wait pa 15/08/21.