The United Party for National Development (UPND) has charged that the failure by President Edgar Lungu to attend the Peace Conference that was organized by the three church mother bodies and the Civil Society shows the President’s lack of respect to the organisers of the Conference and confirms the lack of seriousness the President takes on matters of peace and national security.
In a statement released to the media by the party’s Information and Publicity Secretary Otis Bwalya, the party said that unlike President Lungu and the PF, Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND believe in politics of peace and unity.
Below is the full statement
PRESIDENT LUNGU SNUBBED THE PEACE CONFERENCE BECAUSE HE IS THE No.1 SUPPORTER AND SPONSOR OF VIOLENCE.
The failure by President Edgar Lungu to attend the Peace Conference that was organized by the three church mother bodies and the Civil Society does not only show the President’s lack of respect to the organisers of the Conference but also confirms the lack of seriousness the President takes on matters of peace and national security.It is clear to us, President Lungu is the number sponsor and supporter of political violence in the country.
Unlike President Lungu and the PF, our President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND believe in politics of peace and unity. Once we from government on 12 August, we shall end all forms of political violence once and for all.
It is a pity that today citizens live in fear of being terrorised by political carders who have full blessings from higher authorities. In the PF government, party carders are untouchable. They can maim citizens at will or worse still attack a Police Station and go unpunished. There shall be no sacred cows in the UPND led government. All perpetrators of violence shall be brought to book regardless of their standing in society.
If President Lungu had the political will to end violence, he could have easily done so. But unfortunately, he and the Pf believe in politics of intimidation and blood shed. We have reported to the police on a number of times how our members have been attacked by PF carders, nothing has been done. Ordinary citizens too have reported how they have fallen victim to well orchestrated violence from the PF security, the complaints have not been attended to.
We cannot talk about the many of our members and ordinary citizens that have been killed by the PF carders because the mentioning of those incidences bring back gruesome memories that invoke traumatic recollections especially to families members, while the killers of their beloved ones roam the streets freely. The PF have always been abating violence from day one because it directly benefits them.
The UPND led government under the leadership of President Hichilema shall give the police full autonomy and independence to operate professionally in the service of the Zambian people because we believe in their capacity. A professional and independent police service is key to ending political violence. We shall depoliticise the police service.
In conclusion, we would like to thank President HH for showing commitment and leadership not only at Mulungushi Conference Center yesterday during signing of the Peace Pledge but in as far as the fight against political violence is concerned. As a party we have always emphasised on our commitment to peaceful campaign and indeed peaceful elections, at least from our end, no matter the provocation.
ISSUED BY;
OTIS BWALYA,
INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY SECRETARY (IPS).
LUSAKA PROVINCE, UPND
Lungu is a useless arrogant corrupt theif…..
That’s why he never addresses the nation on important issues unless he sees mass complaints……..
HE HAS NO ORATORY SKILLS AND HIS UNDERLINGS ARE RUNNING THE SHOW THATS WHY HE DOESNT ADDRESS THE NATION
ECL is still President and when you were at the signing of that peace accord, the President was swearing in High Court Judges who will preside over your election petition when you lose the elections next month.
Seriously, it would appear we have lost the initiative to combat crime and violence. We lack that capacity needed or should I say authority to do so. Cars are being broken into at will and at shopping malls and no arrests! What is the point of cctv cameras when nothing has changed? It’s the same on violence, perpetrators are known or ought to be known but nothing is done
Mmmmm, What if the president had other pressing issues to attend to. We have seen a lot of times where HH has it attended important issues and it is understood as long the president sends someone to represent him.
So Lungu didn’t go to this peace conference and can send his cadres onto the street without hassles, and now UPND can do the same and blame Edgar China Lungu! Useless conference, and there will be wide spread violence come August 13! Look at SA! 80 dead!
Peace is not just signing peace agreements , talking endlessly and issuing fake statements. Who doesn’t know how violent UPND cadres are and how many times has your president condemed violence? In whose stronghold is violence more privalent ? So please don’t think Zambians can’t see through your veiled attempt to appear civil when violence is part of your DNA.
This is why we need new leadership. ECL thinks he is well above Zambia. He cannot attend presidential debates, peace conference, all these are platforms of accountability to the citizens. This arrogance needs to be voted out next month.
President Lungu is the Head of State. You can not liken him with these opposition party leaders like HH, Kalaba. He sends representative to such small gatherings. At the moment he is busy explaining to chiefs were the vote are how he is going to rule in the next five years.
It’s good for them to think that they can win by signing or. attending the conference yet they know who owns Mapatizya formula.alebwelelapo.keep dreaming Zambians Know you
You do not expect the Head of State/ Leader to be everywhere. He delegates some members of his Core Team to represent him/organization at certain meetings/ functions bane. Let us look at things in a wider context and remove politics to everything one does. That office is big and busy. Wait till you get in there.
If stoping political violence is anywhere as important as lungu says it is ……he should have attended to show his cader thugs that he foes not accept political violence.
Ati he was attending other business ????
Common , if lungu was serious, he has ZAF Choppers at his disposal and a 1 hour diversion to be seen to sign that peace accord is all it would have taken……
But as usual , mediocre caders used of mediocre leadership don’t know it can take 1 hour using a helicopter for lungu to attend…..
If stoping political violence is anywhere as important as lungu says it is ……he should have attended to show his cader thugs that he foes not accept political violence.
Ati he was attending other business ????
Common , if lungu was serious, he has ZAF Choppers at his disposal and a 1 hour diversion to be seen to sign that peace accord is all it would have taken……
But as usual , mediocre leadership
Mr. Otis Bwalya is wasting time penning down the absence of ECL at the signing of PEACE ACCORD. In the first place the President has daily briefings from the govt system and knows there is no violence to talk about and the opposition bought into that wasting their precious campaign time. This time around Kukosa sana because if you take for granted that the once Mighty PF will let off power easily then we have a big problem on our table. Despite all odds the UPND Alliance should not relax not even for a second or say that its a DEAL DONE like Thabo Kawana is making us believe because PF is in a tricky situation and will do every thing to survive the impending defeat. The only way to defeat the once Mighty PF is to mobilize every known registered voter, make every member or each one of us a…
ZCID Board Chairperson, Jackson Silavwe said peace can only be maintained when people realize that dialogue and peace is possible amongst people with divergent views.
“As a party, we have directed all our party members to conduct issue based campaigns on our achievements, our ideas and policies in our manifesto. We intend to win the elections in a free and fair environment without any political violence,” PF secretary General said.
And United Party for National Development president, Hakainde Hichilema stated that it is essential to contain the current negative harsh environment.
“We must identify the source of violence and must isolate all those that are being violent,” he said.
Compare and Contrast from the above three statements picked from among the many from Political leaders…
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that attended.
From the above you can tell who is condemning VIOLENCE OR NOT in whatever form Mr. Silaywe is for dialogue, Mr. Mwila has directed all their members to refrain from Violence and Mr. Hichilema is blaming the Harsh Environment for the Violence.
Mr. Hichilema has “NEVER” advised his UPND supporters to desist or refrain from VIOLENCE like late Mr. Sata and ECL directed and saying respectively, that if you are caught by the LAW Enforcers, it will be at your own peril, but instead HH has always advised his supporters to defend themselves. Defend themselves from what? This in itself is a recipe for VIOLENCE, because you are simply encouraging your supporters to be ARMED no wonder whenever they come in conflict with the Police, they are always found with Lethal Weapons…
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at their disposal.
Mr. HH for once make a public announcement THAT PLEASE UPDN MEMBERS REFRAIN FROM ANY FORM OF VIOLENCE AND THAT ANYONE CAUGHT BY THE LAW ENFORCERS WILL NOT HAVE MY BLESSINGS OR THAT OF PARY. Simple, and as for the Republican President ECL absence from a political gathering, his presence was not necessary. He is still the leader of this great Nation Zambia, he swore to Protect the Constitution and the people of the entire Zambia regardless of Race, Creed, Gender, Religion, Colour, Tribe, Man West, East, North or South or Political Affiliation etc. and not waste time on some opposition sponsored CADRES VIOLENCE. For now he is THE PEACE MAKER fo the NATION ZAMBIA and the rest of Political Leaders are MAKERS OF PEACE for their selected Parties.
His role is to…
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His role is to instill PEACE and LIBERTY for the 18 million plus Zambians and NOT just for the few CADRES OF VIOLENT POLITICAL PARTIES.
and the absence of hh at KKs funeral with other heads of states? Oh forgot this was a gathering to warn people of what he intends to settle if he ever saw the corridors of plot 1