By 
The Presidency has called on the Patriotic Front (PF) to stop dragging President Hakainde Hichilema into their internal wrangles, stating that he has no involvement in their affairs.
State House Chief Communications Specialist, Clayson Hamasaka, said the President was currently occupied with resolving significant national issues created by the same people currently engaged in internal conflicts.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Hamasaka emphasized that it had never been Hichilema’s intention to interfere in how other political parties conduct their business.
“We have seen insinuations and attempts to drag the Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema, into the ongoing PF leadership wrangles, especially following the expulsion of nine of their Members of Parliament,” he said.
Hamasaka highlighted that one of the President’s strongest pillars is his commitment to order and the rule of law in the country, and that his views on by-elections were well known.
He reiterated that the President had repeatedly called on stakeholders to provide recommendations on how to address this issue to avoid by-elections and save resources.
“The PF exercised its legal and constitutional rights to expel their members from Parliament according to the provisions of their party constitution,” Hamasaka said.
He recalled that the party later took matters to the courts, resulting in the expulsion of their nine Members of Parliament.
Hamasaka stated that when a decision such as this results from the PF’s self-inflicted wrangles, the President’s hands are tied despite his personal views against by-elections.
“There is no way the President can interfere with the independent arms of government, such as Parliament and the Judiciary,” he reiterated.
Hamasaka noted that if the President attempted to interfere with the provisions of the Constitution, the same accusers would turn around and accuse him again.
He claimed that the President had demonstrated a willingness to push for legislative reforms, including the defamation of the President and abolishing the death penalty, which did not require constitutional amendments.
However, addressing issues related to by-elections required consensus from many stakeholders to address numerous lacunas in the current constitution.
Hamasaka remarked that the internal wrangles between the PF factional presidents have been ongoing since the demise of the late President Michael Sata.
“Whether they fight, reconcile, fight again and then turn to the courts for arbitration, President Hichilema has no business with that. They should resolve their issues and leave the Republican President out of it,” Hamasaka concluded.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments