Responding to Chief Chamuka who expressed concerns over plans by some political parties to hold demonstrations over the dispute on the mode of enacting the new constitution when she paid a courtesy call on him, the opposition leader said the FDD is of the view that stakeholders should meet and discuss the way forward.
She said her party has written to the Ministry of Justice for the Minister to facilitate for a meeting with President Edgar Lungu to discuss the way forward but nothing has come to fruition.
“My preference would be to meet the president. We as a Party wrote to the Ministry of Justice requesting him to facilitate a meeting between us and President Lungu. Up to now there has been no response from the Minister’s Office. I have pleaded with my fellow leaders that demonstrating is not the best way because the situation is volatile and if we don’t sit down and resolve this matter in a civil and sober manner this country will degenerate into chaos. We want to know what clauses is the Government intending to bring to parliament and what is the rationale because as far as we are concerned our people have been consistent with what they want to see in the Constitution throughout all the Constitution Reform Commissions we have had as a country.
The challenge I have is that this President doesn’t feel that he should meet us as colleagues. Last week I met with one of the ambassadors and I said the best for our country is to meet and dialogue. After all even if we differ we still have to meet and talk,” Ms Nawakwi said.
And the opposition leader says people should not take her criticism of the Government as attacks on the President as she is only providing the necessary advice to the people in Government.
“Most of the things we say in the media is simply advice to those in office. For example, recently I was advising the President to be careful with his Minister of Finance because he has gotten a loan and now he has gone to the President and washed it on him. My advice is that it is never done that way. The Minister is supposed to defend the president but my friends from the PF say Edith Nawakwi as intelligent as you are you are insulting the president! I didn’t insult the president I said Mr. President check my elder brother Alexander Chikwanda why has he recruited you in defending him over a loan which is not supposed to be contracted in the first place.
Your Royal Highness there is no way you can contract a private loan to fund Government equipment for security it’s the same as the Katebe Katoto saga with Chiluba. President Chiluba ended up in court for similar actions and when I say, “President Lungu be careful” they say ayo ni matusi and because they have the public media they are able to say malatutubila malatutubila. Of course some things are extremely uncomfortable you can’t say Edgar because he is our President.”
Nawakwi said.
Speaking earlier Chief Chamuka of the Lenje people in Chibombo District expressed concern over plans by some opposition political parties to mobilize their members so as to hold country wide demonstrations over the impasse on the enactment of the new constitution.
His Royal Highness said demonstrations were not the solution to the current differences being faced over the constitution making process as doing so would endanger some lives.
He noted that the best way to sort out the challenges was for all stakeholders to sit down and find a common ground as demonstrations would not achieve anything.
The traditional leader further praised Ms. Nawakwi and her party for what he called progressive ideas on how to develop the country.
He said the FDD’s policy of empowering districts through decentralization of the budgeting system was a good idea which would move the country forward if properly implemented and that other political party leaders should emulate the opposition leader by engaging the people constructively on what they are offering when they are voted into to office.