Tue, 28 Feb 2017 06:14:27 +0000
By NATION REPORTER
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema should be practical in his call for reconciliation by first recognising President Edgar Lungu as duly elected, former UPND deputy spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo has charged.
Mr Lifwekelo said that HH’s call for reconciliation did not appear to be genuine as the UPND leader was fond of playing to the gallery.
He said the first call for reconciliation depended entirely on the UPND leadership to unconditionally recognise President Lungu as the duly elected President of the country.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Lifwekelo said that Mr Hichilema must be seen to be walking the talk.
He said that the opposition party had continued to spread propaganda in some parts of Zambia that Mr Hichilema would soon be inaugurated as republican president which was not only misleading but also treasonable.
Mr Lifwekelo said that the reconciliation call could be cosmetic since UPND vice president for administration Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) as well as other party leaders have continued to refuse to recognise President Lungu as having had been lawfully elected.
“One can only hope and I am saying this from the depth of my heart that the call for reconciliation is genuine but the first call for reconciliation lies with the UPND leadership first of all to recognise President Lungu as legitimately elected.
“The call can be perceived to be cosmetic because each time GBM stands on any platform he says the UPND will not recognise President Lungu as duly elected,” Mr Lifwekelo said.
Mr Lifwekelo expressed hope that if the call for reconciliation by Mr Hichilema was genuine President Lungu as well as the ruling party leadership would welcome it with the aim to unify as well as bring about co-existence.
He said that Mr Hichilema should be humble and that the time for politicking was over as there was need for Zambia to move on.
And Mr Lifwekelo has urged former Post Newspapers( in liquidations) proprietor Fred M’membe to abide by the rules as well as terms of the liquidation process and stop hence forth dragging the name of the President in his woes.
