By NATION REPORTER
MILES Sampa has stirred an intra-party consternation in the Patriotic Front (PF) for which he is a presidential candidate by causing the banishment of his bosses, Given Lubinda, the acting president and Nickson Chilanwa, the secretary general.
But Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa have slipped through the ban by the High Court as the former ruling party has instead appointed the duo as acting vice-president and deputy secretary general respectively to continue carrying out party function while their substantive positions remain frozen.
The action by the former ruling party to appoint Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa as acting vice-president and deputy secretary general is meant to ensure that the PF should live on and continue to function in the midst of schemes and plots to have the former ruling party crumble for lack of leadership.
The PF has since suspended all programmes towards the organisation of the elective convention so that it could concentrate its efforts to the legal battles that have been initiated by Mr Sampa.
After he was suspended from the Central Committee for six weeks, Mr Sampa decided to take the intra-party battle miles away from the PF secretariat, to the High Court where he demanded that Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa should be banned from acting as president and secretary general respectively.
The High Court has since granted Mr Sampa’s sought reliefs and has ordered that his suspension be annulled and that Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilanwa should cease acting as president and secretary general.
Yesterday, Raphael Nakacinda announced that Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa had been relegated to the positions of vice-president and deputy secretary general pending the determination of the matter in which Mr Sampa sought the freezing of their substantive positions.
Mr Nakacinda said the PF as a civilised political formation and in respect of the rule of law, was going to abide by the High Court order in the form of an exparte injunction to restrain Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa from operating in their positions.
Mr Nakacinda, the PF publicity and media chairperson said as a law abiding political party, the PF would oblige to the court order until the day of hearing.
This comes after PF presidential candidate Mr Sampa obtained a court injunction to restrain Mr Chilangwa and Mr Lubinda from acting in the position and overturn his suspension.
Mr Nakacinda however said Mr Lubinda and Mr Chilangwa would remain active in their position as vice president and deputy secretary general until this issue is settled.
“We will oblige even though we have not been served with this actual court order. We just learned of it on social media. Do not be dismayed by the said legal action because it will definitely be resolved and the party will remain strong,” Mr Nakacinda said.
He urged the members of the party especially those that had expressed interest to run the party presidency to do everything possible to contribute to the unity of the party.
Mr Sampa was last week suspended for six weeks from the central committee of the party for issuing disparaging remarks against his fellow candidate at a press briefing
