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By NATION REPORTER
HARRY Kalaba, the Citizens First (CF) president says Zambians are expecting President Hakainde Hichilema to respond to the plea by Dr Chitalu Chilufya that he should hear the grievances of the people of Luapula over the two jailed lawmakers Ronald Chitotela and Nickson Chilangwa.
Mr Kalaba said the issues that Dr Chilufya raised in Luapula Province on Sunday over Mr Chilangwa and Mr Chitotela were valid especially that President Hichilema had been parading him (Dr Chilufya) wherever he had been.
“We would like President Hichilema to immediately act on what Dr Chilufya requested for. He should not be quiet on an important matter like that and yet he wants to win the election in Kawambwa, trying to convince the very people that he has humiliated to vote for him when Chilangwa is languishing in jail,” Mr Kalaba said.
Mr Kalaba said he first entered Parliament on the same day with Mr Chilangwa and Mr Chitotela and it was for that reason that even CF under UKA opted not to participate in the Kawambwa parliamentary by-election to avoid spliting the vote.
He said he would like to hear President Hichilema respond to Dr Chilufya’s plea if indeed he loved the people of Luapula Province and cared about what they were politically going through.
Mr Kalaba said the statement which Dr Chilufya issued pleading for Mr Chilangwa and Mr Chitotela was a representative of what the chiefs felt, of what the people on the ground were thinking and representative of himself (Mr Kalaba) as a leader of a political party.
He said Dr Chilufya was only fortunate enough to be with the President and raised the issue that the people of Luapula were not happy with the UPND government over the jailing of the two MPs.
“He (President Hichilema) had been parading him trying to show that he is close to him. The people of Luapula are not happy with the manner that two lawmakers have been treated by Government. Why has the President elected silence? Why have Government institutions been silent? It is true we are not happy with the manner Chitotela and Chilangwa have been handled,” Mr Kalaba said.
