By SIMON MUNTEMBA
A WAVE of petitions by losing UPND parliamentary candidates is a systematic process to build numbers with the aim of amending the constitution to reintroduce a one-party state, Raphael Nakacinda has said.
Mr Nakacinda, who is former Minister of Water, Sanitation and Environmental Protection has also challenged President Hakainde Hichilema to quickly move to State House as opposed to remaining at his private New Kasama home.
He said the 2021 general election petitions by losing UPND candidates was a deliberate move to garner numbers so that they could change the constitution at will.
“There is a wave of petitions that has been observed so far around the country. It’s a systematic process to build numbers and their aim is to amend the constitution to reintroduce a one-party state and to fulfil his commitment towards the liberal network to remove the Christian clause,” Mr Nakacinda claimed.
He urged the Judiciary to rise to the occasion in dispensing Justice with impartiality as they had always been.
Mr Nakacinda challenged the Head of State to move to State House because failure to do so would be tantamount to misuse of public resources.
This would require the state to set up security features at his private property using public resources.
He also said parents should not pay school fees for their children, instead they should just buy groceries because President Hichilema promised free education from pre-school to university.
“We will protest if HH won’t deliver free education. We will march in the streets as a way of protesting,” Mr Nakacinda said.
But UPND Itezhi-Tezhi Member of Parliament Twaambo Mutinta took a swipe at Mr Nakachinda.
She said Mr Nakacinda should be patient because it was him and his colleagues that left the rot in the education system.
“Mr Nakacinda, how do you expect us to immediately implement free education when the money is still with you and your fellow criminals?
“Be patient, don’t rush us to arrest you, give us time we investigate all your criminal activities and then arrest you so that you pay back what you stole from the poor people,” Ms Twambo said in a Facebook posting.
