By NATION REPORTER
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema is the father of nation and should therefore invite opposition political party leaders for a meeting at which he should call for unity, reconciliation and harmony among Zambians irrespective of their political, social and ethnic affiliation, Harry Kalaba has said.
Mr Kalaba, the president of the Citizens First Party says it was upon President Hichilema to call upon the opposition political party leaders if there were signs that the country was getting divided. Mr Kalaba said President Hichilema, as the father of the nation was expected to be preaching unity, reconciliation and forgiveness each time he had a chance to communicate to the people he was presiding over. President Hichilema while in Chipata for the ordination of auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Chipata, Gabriel Phiri called upon the opposition political leaders to help unite the country.
But Mr Kalaba said the opposition political party leaders would ever remain willing and ready to sit with President Hichilema to discuss their differences and begin to preach messages of love, harmony, forgiveness and reconciliation instead of harassing each other.
“President Hichilema is right when he says the opposition should help unite the country. But it is upon the head of State as the father of the nation to call upon the opposition when he sees that the country is getting disunited. Let President Hichilema invite the opposition political party leaders so that we can meet and discuss unity and find the lasting solution to what has continued dividing the country,” Mr Kalaba said.
Mr Kalaba however urged President Hichilema to be sincere and genuine in his continued messages of peace and unity in the country because there had been a growing trend of the opposition political party leaders being bossed and harassed by the State.
He said he was waiting to hear President Hichilema to begin preaching messages of reconciliation and forgiveness and discourage agents of the state from harassing opposition political party leaders.
He stated that time had come for the leadership to dispense with hypocrisy and begin to govern the country with love and sincerity for only then would citizens begin to unite and live as brothers and sisters across the ethnic spectrum.
