Cool down, Lungu advises PF founding members

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 11:36:07 +0000

By Bennie Mundando

THERE is a perception by some of people who consider themselves founding members of the Patriotic Front (PF) that they have been sidelined and this is creating some difference in the party, President Edgar Lungu has revealed.

President Lungu has, however, stated that the PF as a family should not be frowning on new members but should instead be happy that the governing party was growing by the day because it was more attractive and the best to govern the country.

Speaking before departure for South Africa for a three-day working visit, President Lungu said there was need for old members in the PF to cool down and allow more people to join the ruling party because that was the only way the party would become stronger.

He said it was inevitable that the ruling party would have different opinions on a number of issues but reiterated that the ruling party would not segregate anyone based on how long they had been in the governing party.

The Head of State has reiterated that he would appoint party members to positions based on merit and not on how long they had been in the party.

“When people live together, they are bound to differ on opinions just as they differ in looks. When people differ in opinion, it does not mean that there is friction. All I can tell you is that there is some difference (in PF) among people who perceive themselves to be founder members of the party. My advice to these people is that the party is like a family; the more newcomers you have the bigger and the better you become because you involve and get new ideas.

“So those who think they are founder members of the party should cool down and welcome new ones because we are a family. If you happen to be born last in the family, it does not mean that you have no rights to belong to that family. Those who came at foundation, those who joined midway, and those who are joining now must feel free under my watch as party president because we are all the same and I will appoint people on merit and that is the way it is going to be,” President Lungu said.

He said it was unfortunate that there were some of members in the party who felt they were entitled to government positions but said the party was made up of members who were all important.

“When I make appointments some people think they are entitled to them because they started the foundation or they came halfway but the party belongs to all of us. It is a party that embraces new ideas and memberships for it to grow but that which is moribund by listening to only old people because they found it will not embrace new ideas and it will die,” President Lungu said.

And President Lungu said his visit to South Africa was important because it would enable him and his South African counterpart an opportunity to exchange on a wide range of issues that affect the region.

“Good neighbourliness is important. Right now we are just keeping our fingers crossed hoping things in the Congo DR go well as they transit from one government to the other. Exchange of notes in the region with brothers is very important.

“One of the things we will talk about is the balance of trade between Zambia and South Africa and so within the COMESA agric project, we would like to see how we can balance up because that is very important,” he said.