Speaking to journalists before his departure to Luapula today, President Lungu said democracy dictates that he consults with stakeholders who in this case are the Zambian people before making decisions.
President Lungu said he believes in widespread consultation with stakeholders as the right path to govern.
He said he would not dictate to Zambians what they should adopt with regard to the country staying or pulling out of the ICC.
The African Union (AU) wants its member states to pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This is a message to the international community to stop “harassing” Africans, the AU said.
The decision was arrived at in a closed session of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday.
However, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Botswana and Chad want to remain members of the court.
The summit adopted a withdrawal strategy which had been circulated to members beforehand but was overshadowed by the elections of AU Commission leaders.
The document says: “A growing number of African stakeholders have begun to see patterns of only pursuing African cases being reflective of selectivity and inequality”.
Member states also agreed to press for a reformed United Nations Security Council. African countries have no permanent representation in the council. The council can refer cases to the court, yet it is not a UN court.
Meanwhile, Veteran Politician Vernon Mwaanga has said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has failed to live up to the expectations for which it was set up for.
In an interview with ZNBC News in Lusaka, Dr. Mwaanga said frustrations by some African leaders to pull out of the ICC is understood because of the manner it has discriminated against smaller states, poor nations and African countries. Dr Mwaanga said that the ICC pursues arrest warrants for African leaders with a lot of vigour.
Dr. Mwaanga has however stated that the decision by the African Union to pull out of the ICC is not binding as member countries can still decide to stay on or not. Dr Mwaanga further said that welcomed the planned consultations by President Edgar Lungu on whether Zambia should stay or pull out of the ICC.
And The Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has said that Zambia should stay with the International Criminal Court -ICC- as the country seeks to improve its judicial system.
FDD Spokesperson Anthonio Mwanza said that the idea of being within the jurisdiction of the ICC works well when the country has to deal with complicated cases.
Mr. Mwanza ssaid that Zambia like other African countries should strive to build much stronger judicial systems that will satisfy expectations of the masses.
He was speaking in an interview with ZNBC News in Lusaka.
Another press briefing on an airport tarmac by this utter Lazy Bum…does somebody in Katete or Choma care about ICC, why dont you comment about corruption or policy pronouncements?
another f00lish posting by this Id10t called Jay gay! keep quiet you twit.
Lungu will certainly pull out Zambia from the ICC because he is a potential customer to the ICC. Think about how many UPND members he has killed! What about utter disregard of the Zambian Constitution?
The ICC dont help themselves. Clearly going only after African leaders
Not only are all those currently charged with crimes by the ICC from the African continent, but all of the recognized victims are too. It seems logical then that the victims shown in ICC materials are all black.
Lungu will do what he can to state this, because the Zambians he is trying to engage and consult are indifferent to start with , with his 3rd term mission and his sudden rise to one of the richest AFrican Presidents after being in Power for less than 3 Years.
ICC are doing the right thing, but they need a bit of consistence and try people from the East and West as well.
Thanks
BB2014,16
Guys sorry but I start to like Edgar, he went to walkbin cow shhjt likje a kachema?
This doesn’t mean I am leaving Heritage Party.
Kikiki, he is funny , he just had to go inside a goat house to prove to people in lusaka that he has gone for a working visit, only problem he doesn’t even know the purpose of that goat house.
He was asked a question
Lungu won’t “eject”? Zambia from the ICC ? Only ICC can “eject” a country from membership in ICC. Most likely Lungu meant “withdraw,” or “pull out,” Zambia from the ICC. Furthermore, it’s funny that the African Union complains about the ICC targeting African criminals, and casting a blind eye to the rest of the world’s criminals — and yet the African Union lets these African criminal dictators run amok killing their own people — while they (AU) idly stand by. In the Gambia, had ECOWAS not taken it upon themselves to intervene, Jammeh was getting ready to plunge the nation into bloodshed, while the AU did nothing forceful to stop him. So, until the African Union begins to hold African dictators accountable for their crimes, the ICC is a necessary option we can’t do without…
The rules are simple just do the right thing and you wont need to worry about the ICC. I don’t care if its pursuit is discriminatory but facts on the ground are that whenever there are misdeeds by an African Leader, the country is worst hit by Civil wars & conflict ….and the Africans are No.1 to rush to the West for Assistance. We like defending utter nonsense in Africa and quick to shout, sovereignty whenever asked to be accountable… yet among ourselves we cannot. Look at Chapona now idolizing Mu 7’s Hat!!!
Ejecting or dragging Zambia out? LT? Chizungu
I’d support the idea of pull out. Why can’t the ICC arrest George Bush and his minions who went to Iraq and killed innocent children when they knew there were no WMDs? But they’re quick to arrest African leaders over petty things. These are questions that people should ask.
Yes pull out but dont beg from their taxpayers for Eurobonds…did you see Bush flying all over Europe begging for loans. This is not a priority for us but since we have a lazy empty suit in State House..anything to distract us from the mess is a bonus from him.
Iwe Lombe, I don’t think that is a solid justification for Zambia to pull out of ICC unless you are preparing the ground that one day a Zambian Leader will be a victim.
Is ECL looking for that opportunity, that he will dictate his candidacy in 2021?
you twit Jay Gay, Eurobonds were ‘earned’ by the Zambian Govt. individual and corporates actually oversubscribed to purchase the bonds issued by the Zambian government. Stop misleading learned Zambians you twit.
Over subscribed because you will default.
Wake up!!
Over subscribed because of the high APR rate!!
@ The observer you are making it seem like “Purchasing” bonds and the oversubscribing was a trade in commodities or the like of ….. Bwana the truth is these were ‘people’ lending us Money and we were borrowing on a platform called Euro bond. Please don’t Glamorize it….also the follow on Question is what have you really Invested from these Bonds ??? Show me something at Zambia Railways you can point at to say since we invested Euro Bond we have started generating significant revenue??? Love him or Hate him @ Jay Jay is very RIGHT.
ICC are just their to victimize poor country leaders. When it come to scams of the earth like the Donald Trump is taking, they are toothless. AU power!
Trump is better than African leaders who kill their own citizens. At least Americans kill and victimise “aliens”, not their own people.
African nations should have never joined the ICC in the first place.
Who will a pull out from the ICC benefit? It will only benefit the same African dictators who are clamouring to leave the ICC. These African dictators will no longer fear to be put to account for their crimes because African governance institutions are too weak and incapable of putting a President to account. Zambia should definitely stay in the ICC and ensure that any President in the future who will abuse the Zambian people will be pursued and jailed. LUNGU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY STOP TALKING ABOUT LEAVING THE ICC.
Look at fyololo in blue safari suit. Haha
Lets just reform the ICC especially its management not to pull out that’s a cheap way to, when a marriage has issues you don’t rush to divorce you try to work things out unless there is a case of adultery but even then some people find a way out by not asking who is to blame but ‘what have I brought to this issue?”
ICC is run by the same people that colonized most of Africa, only one that is not of the beautiful continent wants to remain in the ICC.
Nzelu
“…ICC is run by the same people that colonized most of Africa…”
I think you will find that these same people are bailing out Africans with their aid and loans.
Try to Stop taking their money and they won’t judge you.
You have MU7, Zuma, Bashir , Kabila and mugabe pushing africa to qwete the ICC.
Leaders who have nothing to fear are quite.
Quit
qwete and quite sure!?
May be we SHOULD BE BLAMING OUR SHALLOW JOURNALISTS who want Lungu to keep repeating the same issue of LOW NATIONAL PRIORITY! Why should we WORRY ABOUT THE ICC NOW INSTEAD OF ASKING ABOUT PRESSING NATIONAL ISSUES LIKE;MAIZE GATE SCANDAL,FLOODING, ARMY WORMS, FAILURE TO ARREST CULPRITS MENTIONED IN AUDITOR GENERAL REPORTS,CLOSING OF MULUNGUSHI TEXTILES BARELY MONTHS AFTER ELECTIONS, TIME FRAME FOR ENDING LOAD SHEDDING etc,etc..
But the president made us start worrying about his third term candidacy when we should have been focused on army worms
we need to eject this silly rat as soon as possible for the good of this country. Surely with all the important challenges facing zambia, this chap is more concerned with removing zambia from the ICC and protecting himself. He knows that once he is out of power, he will face charges for crimes against humanity. He knows very well the deaths he caused during elections and the suffering he has caused on innocent zambians with his trigger happy pf police.
Promoting Day light pick pocketing.
Insults! Only Insults! These are the insults these Dunderheads learnt from their parents! Blood thirsty animals!
Rotten egg.
AU must form their own criminal court, how do you trust foreigners to do good for you.
They have their own interests at heart; mind you they shared Africa on their own soil.
You still don’t learn from the past,no no one can solve your problems, why not learn from Syria how it is falling apart.
They have not changed in anyway but just improved tactics.
They remove the progressive thinkers and replace them with the dull.
You will take it from me
nshilimubemba you are right. Some Africans are still not learning from the past, ICC should not continue to run our judicial systems, for how long are we going to be independent? How many people has George W Bush has killed and he’s still walking free, Obama has slaughtered millions of people, he’s still going to be walking freely. Qaddafi and Saddam Hussein were murdered because they wanted to be free from white dominance, they used propaganda and made the locals to turn against them so that they can maintain their power monopoly all over the world. African leaders should start getting wise and bold enough to resist western control over Africa. African’s inclination to ICC is like a married man who can not rule his family always running to his neighbor whenever he has a problem.This…
How will he consult Zambians? In a bar will he say “Iwe! Are you disagreeing with the President!” and that will be the end of the consultation… as Rupiah Banda buys him another Castle…
Trump correctly said Africans need to be recolonised,look at some clever opposition they think they need someone from outside Africa to rule them total stupidity.
HH is in the forefront campaigning.
Why why.
Give us a break.
@nshilimubemba and others, your AU and Zambia would have died without Western support. Westerners respect democracy and they don’t want their tax payers money being wasted by African leaders corruption and violence. Only violent and corrupt African states would like to go out of the ICC.
@2020 vision then we can expect no more insults from you.
Iraq war what has happened to Bush and Tony??? Mr president please leave this group African leaders are targets and don’t here to people like Hungry Hyena
JIMBI
CHEAP POLITICS KILLING OUR NATION
All he is saying is that he can’t make up his mind until he sees what others are doing. If all neighbouring countries pull out then he will also pull out. He can’t lead in anything. Most Zambians are like that. They check out what their neighbors and friends are doing then they follow suit. That’s why Zambia can’t develop
A leader should be brave enough to act on his convictions. In this case Lungu should have just stated “we will pull out because…..” or “we won’t pull out because…..”
Because he is weak he is scared to be alone or to be the only one on top
Mr. president there are certain decision you have to come out boldly and make them your self and just provide us with bold reasoning, a LEADER MUST HAVE FORESIGHT. ICC is controlled by western countries.
Very true Ba Pombo, Zambians like to join and keep in step with the crowd
@Mushota, Mmmmmm, well said Mushota, have you had a personality transplant! Impressed with your comment in a long long time!!
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