BY SIMON MUNTEMBA
LUNGU WON’T CONTEST POLLS’
…hold your fire, Lubinda tells UPND Alliance
FORMER republican President Edgar Lungu will not re-contest in 2026, therefore the UPND Alliance should relax, Patri otic Front (PF) vice President Given Lubinda has said. Mr Lubinda wondered why the UPND Alliance was in a hurry to call for the res ignation of Mr Lungu from active politics when time was ticking for them to deliver on their cam paign promises.
From Page 1 He said the UPND Alliance should focus on finding its feet on how to govern the country instead of calling for the resignation of Mr Lungu from active politics because he had already made it clear that he was not standing in 2026. In an interview, Mr Lub inda told the Daily Nation that president Lungu did not need the UPND Alliance’s advice to make a decision on his political destiny. “Of what interest is it to the UPND Alliance wheth er President Lungu gets his benefits or not. Why is it that they are in the hurry to ask president Lungu to resign? No one has the right to dic tate when president Lungu should resign from active politics. “As far as we are concerned as PF, that decision shall be made known by President Lungu himself when he sees that time is ripe. Let them (ruling UPND Alliance) con centrate on finding their feet on how to govern. They are losing time talking about Ed gar Lungu resigning. Time is ticking,” Mr Lubinda said. He explained that accord ing to the PF constitution, Mr Lungu was entitled to hold his post until the next general conference, unless he used article 53 to willingly tender a resignation. For the information of the UPND Alliance, he said, the PF membership shall respect the rights of president Lungu to decide on his political des tiny. For us what is important is to reorganize ourselves af ter the August 12 elections. “In case, Thabo Kawana and the whole UPND Alli ance missed what president Lungu said, he has already explained to us that he is not available to recontest in 2026. He has made that clear that he is not available. So, why are they in a hurry to ask for his resignation?” he asked.
BY SIMON MUNTEMBA
