Fellow Citizens,
We are a proud sovereign state that is governed by a written constitution since independence. For the past 60 years, Zambians have consistently fought to establish and entrench democratic rule and good governance by amending and strengthening our constitution.
In 2016, I was your Republican President who approved comprehensive reforms to our constitution we all celebrate today and many admire in the region. Out of all the seven presidents, everyone know that Progressive constitutional reforms is my political hallmark and leadership legacy. Therefore, as long as I am alive, I will not abrogate my national duty to defend and protect our cherished democratic Republican Constitution. Moreover, there is no man or woman in Zambia or abroad who is bigger or above our Republican Constitution!
Under our supreme national law, our democratic rule is anchored on the principle of “separation of powers” with four clear fundamental objectives and functions. The four pillars of separation of powers are:
1. To set limits on the work of the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Executive so that each of the three operates within their own autonomous space and respective jurisdiction;
2. To ensure that there is no overlap in the powers and functions of these three different arms of government at any given point;
3. To provide checks and balances on each other in order to guarantee the rule of law, accountability, transparency and consolidation of democratic principles; and
4. To prevent abuse of power by any of the three arms of government and thereby protecting sovereignty, citizen rights, national security and peaceful coexistence.
For the past three years since President Hakainde Hichilema came into power, we have seen a structured and coordinated campaign to undermine and erode the principle of separation of powers. Most stakeholders have factual stories of gross interference by the executive into the judiciary and legislature. On Wednesday, we saw our parliament making history by expelling 9 PF MPs. As Former President, I can tell you that this gesture is the highest level of political brutality and unacceptable barbarism.
Today, I join millions of Zambians to mourn for the death of “separation of powers” in our country. The moment any of the three wings of government the (legislature, judiciary and executive) accept to be arbitrary abused or overthrown by the other, then citizens must declare a nation mourning for the funeral of “Separation of Powers”.
As everyone is aware, I was Republican President between 2015 to 2021. There was no time I called or met the speaker of the National Assembly to instruct, impose or arm twist him because I respected the principle of separation of powers. You can ask our former speaker, Dr. Patrick Matibin, he is still alive and around. Unfortunately, this type of respect for separation of powers we practiced under the PF and previous ruling parties has been washed away by this UPND government.
Consistently, we have seen the integrity of parliament being undermined and eroded with political impunity. The respected office of the speaker has been openly arm twisted many times to rubber stamp or endorse oppressive political actions of the executive against MPs and government critics or political rivals.
Ladies and gentlemen, if Zambians will not stand up to oppose and reject the illegal, immoral and unconstitutional expulsion of the nine PF MPs, then our citizens would have approved the brutal assassination of “Separation of Powers” by the UPND government. Our media friends here can ask former Deputy Chief justice Marvin Mwanawamwamba who is still alive and was at the top of the judiciary when I was in state house. We never interfered or gave instructions to the judges. Respect for the rule of law and separation of powers was very important during my time in office!
For our affected MPs, I feel your pain, and I feel your anguish because you were democratically elected to save your people and Zambians. However, l promise and commit to fight with you. We will do everything possible both politically and legally to ensure that dictatorship does not win over democracy. As far as the law and democracy is concerned, you are still our MPs and you shall go back to parliament in the name and spirit of rule of law and democracy.
In every sector, there good and bad seeds. As such, we sympathize with some of our independent and professional judges who are doing everything possible to professionally and independently serve the Zambian people. I know we have some sound and credible judges who still defend Justice and fairness for our people. To such, I want to promise you that “a better Zambia is coming where you will once more work independently and freely.
In future, we promise to restore rule of law as well as separation of powers. With our experience in government and a bigger and better team before us, we shall reverse this dangerous political vice set by the UPND government.
As I said in Kitwe, l am back and back in a better way. I have been tried, tested and I strongly believe I am now more trusted for national leadership. Our future government will be inclusive as you have seen our UKA family. I call upon everyone across Zambia to voluntarily join hands us to fight, defeat and democratically clash this dictatorship regime called UPND government. We pray to God that soon or later, Zambians shall have an inclusive government that hates tribalism, nepotism and regionalism and through our inclusive coalition alliance.
For me as a political father for all Zambians, l am ready to engage and embrace anyone who errored or went astray to come back to PF. Hon. Miles Sampa is one of the best examples we must all embrace and support. He is one of us and belongs to us! PF is our party, and we must all work together to restore it as one family and bring on board other partners.
May God bless you all and thank you
Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu
Sixth President of Zambia
PF President
I wish former president Lungu had the courage and calibre to talk in this manner while he was presiding over this country. As a lawyer he knew and understood the implications of the abrogation of the law by his close allies and cadres that run rampant, but never at any time did the former utter a word to rebuke the injustices which were being perpetuated by his followers. Now today he is in opposition and his mind has opened up and wants to lecture us about the constitution and that nobody is above the law when it was clear him and his were above the law during his reign. I think it is already too late to want to sound responsible and concerned. The hallmark of his mistakes are there for us to see, lest he just repents and lecture his followers.
shall this snake ever stop to deceive!!?
Yeah, Yeah, suddenly he is finding the eloquence that he lost when he was President. Then he hated speaking to the media and never had a single press conference. Out of spite for the media? Or was it just upperclass mentalities-not wanting to mix with those lowdown journalists?
Now he is painting himself as our knight in shining armor who has come to defend our noble constitution. Boza Chagwa you lived comfortably with that unconstitutional defamation of the president law throughout your tenure! And we kept pointing this out to you. Thats why some of us opted for the opposition- to adopt that struggle against freedom of speech. The struggle continues.
If Chakolwa didn’t interfere with the judiciary those styopet judges wouldn’t have made that styopet judgement that declared him eligible to contest the 2021 elections
People have no shame. It was under Lungu’s misleadership that PF failed to hold a convention. It is Lungu’s greed for power, it is Lungu’s selfishness that is the challenge here. He even manipulated the courts allow himself to stand for a treasonous 3rd term. Today he wants to lecture us about separation of powers? Nigga, please. Sit down. Zambia is not short of leaders. Just prepare for your inevitable loss of immunity, prosecution and imprisonment. All those properties your family has forfeited to the State are hard evidence against you.
Are we really short of sober leaders? If PF and UKA present this one then I would rather put my elsewhere. Enough said.
Meant to say, I would rather put my vote elsewhere
The audacity is appalling!
Let’s all move on please. If this man was wise he would be bringing this weight behind a fresh brain and pair of hands. This idea of thinking one is the only one who can salvage something they were party to sinking must surely be resisted by the electorate. Let’s put in more effort in moving our focus to fresh heads! Icibwelelo cilalya bane…
Fellow Zambians, take it or leave it that ECL has learnt from his past mistakes and I can assure you he now able to rule better than our present leader. He will only rule one term and he will leave a neutral playing field than choose another one who will come up with ways to consolidate his /her position. Remember my words if not worse things are ahead of us.
Fellow Zambians, ECL has learnt from his past mistakes and his failure was just in how he handled cadres. Corruption, tribalism and regionalism was there and the three vices have even become worse in this government. The hate speeches spoken by our current leader in his opposition status if considered in the current scenario would have landed him in courts /prison several times. Epopelele
It is undeniable fact that Lungu is a better leader than Hakainde. Lungu with his mistakes he managed to embark on a national development trajectory of infrastructure development. Hakainde on the other hand has no known development plan. In fact all projects that Hakainde is praising himself on are the projects left by Lungu. HH’s sickness is known and is not good for our country.
Those projects were Sata’s not Lungu
So how is HH supposed to do likewise yet Lungu & Co left him handicapped by debt that is 100% of GDP? Do you know Zambia defaulted on a Eurobond?
Some of you are so daft you don’t think.
Zambians will be eating Politics now….its now Politics 24/7….365 days……meanwhile Bukina Faso will soon catch up with Rwanda and Zambia after 60 years of independence still has no electricity
A bunch of Bandits UPND vs a bunch of Bandits PF
I supported HH and was proud to vote for what I thought was a descent man. However expelling members of the opposition party out of parliament is straight thuggery. Those people are democratically elected and you can’t deny a seat voted by the people because you think you can. It is undemocratic and even though Lungu is not my cup of tea. I have lost confidence in HH and this is a sad chapter in a young Democracy. Always support the law and constitution over any man or woman. HH must go!
ECL violated the Constitution several times.
You must be a certified retard to support what the government of the day is doing to our parliament and judiciary. I would like to believe even praise singers are endowed with brains.
Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, you were brought up and helped up to grow to the position of President of Zambia by Michael Sata and we were happy that sata was grooming a successor in you. Who did you help to grow and groom to the level of president to take over from you? instead when you were 67 years old running for presidency, you brought a 70 year old woman as running mate called Mr Nkandu Luo and you call that grooming? You had capable intelligent younger people with potential in PF like Brian Mushimba, Edify Hamukale, Miles Sampa etc to shape and groom for Zambia but you chose an oldee women. sorry sir you are but self-centered
ECL is a pot calling the kettle black.When his boss MCS was denying Rupiah Banda his passport and detained him on frivolous charges Lungu never spoke out yet now he’s an angel?
Mscheeew , spare us your hypocrisy and stinky self righteousness .
Mr ECL Zambians want to see PF run by new
Vibrant leader as you have run your race.
Just elect a new leader before 2026 who can
Give Bally a good race.
Corrupt Lungu and Sata are responsible for the crushing Zambian debt. Lungu should not be platformed in any media outlets. He belongs in the dustbin heap of Zambian history.
The problem is Lungu overates himself too much…remember when he fought with Guy scott over the Presidency after Michael Sata died….and HH is a big let down…i thought he was going to perform above board but he has failed big…not even close to his campaign promises….i was even ready to pack and relocate back to Zambia after he won but now am. Having second thoughts
Some people do not understand democracy and the powers of Head of State. Truth of the matter is that the expulsion of nine MPs from parliament are self inflicted by PF itself. Nothing to do with the President and New Dawn Government. Understand the system we are in before denouncing the Government.