Party alleges hypocrisy in govt agreeing to dialogue with Bishops and not opposition parties

Government has been urged to prioritize national dialogue with Zambians, not just the Catholic bishops, amidst rising concerns and unheeded calls for economic indaba.

Economic Front (EF) Party Chairperson for Information and Media, Fewdays Nsensema, said this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday.

Nsensema acknowledged the Minister of Information and Media, Cornelius Mweetwa’s announcement that the government was prepared to meet and engage in dialogue with Catholic bishops regarding the concerns raised in their pastoral letter.

Nsensema noted that the Catholic bishops had no issues engaging in dialogue with the government directly.

He argued that, in the party’s view, the government should engage in dialogue with the Zambian people, addressing the need for assistance and resolutions regarding the various challenges outlined in the pastoral letter.

“Its also hypocritical of the highest order by the government to wanting to dialogue with the bishops on the issues raised in the pastoral letter when opposition political parties, some civil societies, traditional leaders, professionals bodies, labour unions and so many stakeholder have consistently raised these issues and called for dialogue and reversal of certain decisions but surprisingly it had fallen on deaf ears,” Nsensema said.

“We advise you to be genuine and honest as you handle this issue. Moreover, EF emphasized that there was a widespread call for an organization of an economic indaba as a collaborative approach to addressing the numerous economic challenges confronting the country, yet you chose to dismiss the suggestion.

“We want to remind you as government that Zambia is for everyone, and no one possesses the monopoly of wisdom to run this country,” he said.

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