FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU STEPS DOWN, AS PF PARTY PICKS CLEMENT TEMBO TO CONTEST THE KABWATA BY-ELECTION

By ADRIAN MWANZA
Given Lubinda will act as Patriotic Front president until the party elects a new leader at its general conference in April, 2022, acting general secretary, Nickson Chilangwa said yesterday.
And PF has settled for Clement Tembo as their candidate for the upcoming January 20 Kabwata by-election.
PF acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa said Mr Lubinda would act in the transition as the party goes through the process of replacing President Edgar Lungu.
One of Mr Lubinda’s assignment was chairing the central comment which selected the party’s candidate in the Kabwata by-election.
“The meeting was chaired by Hon. Given Lubinda who is now the Party’s Acting President during the transition period as the Party awaits the election of the new Party President at the next General Conference,” Mr Chilangwa said.
Mr Chilangwa said that the choice was as a result of a rigorous process chaired by the party’s Central Committee chaired by acting president Mr Given Lubinda.
Mr Chilangwa said that the Central Committee was confident that Mr Tembo was the right candidate for the seat because he was a party stalwart on the ground.
He also said they had appointed Mr Raphael Nakacinda as Mr Tembo’s campaign manager and would be assisted by former deputy speaker Mr Mwimba Malama.
“As a party we are not going to engage in forms of violence during our campaigns and I want to urge the people on the ground to conduct violent free elections,” he said.
Mr Tembo fended off stiff competition from three other aspirants that included Mr Gabriel Kibombwe, Patrick Mwape and Ms Nalishebo Sinyama who were all eyeing the seat.
And Mr Tembo said that he was humbled to be adopted as the party’s representative and assured the leadership that he would scoop the party.
Mr Tembo said that he was up against competent colleagues who were up to the task but that only one person was needed.
He said the PF apologised for all its wrongs and that they had repented as part of the party rebranding process after the August 12 general election.
“We are a party that is rebranding and we apologised for what we said in the past and we want to show you that we have changed and you can trust us,” he said.