Mon, 19 Jun 2017 09:52:33 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
ZAMBIA is not drifting into a dictatorship but we are where we are today due to problems created by those who have failed to look at the big picture by refusing to recognise the presidency, former President Rupiah Banda has said.
Speaking yesterday, Mr. Banda said it was unfortunate that the UPND rushed to attack him last month when he called for politicians to accept the outcome of elections and emulate former president Kenneth Kaunda whom he described as his role model without them understanding what his statement was premised on. He said just like Dr. Kaunda conceded defeat when he lost to the MMD in 1991, he (Mr. Banda) also conceded when he lost to the PF and that was a lesson that politicians should learn, adding that had the UPND accepted the outcome of the 2016 elections, the country would not have had the problems it was facing which others were misinterpreting as dictatorship.
He said there was need for the UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to accept the fact that there was a President in place so that if he won in future elections, Zambians would also accept that he was the president.
“Obviously, I would not say that the country is sliding into dictatorship because we have had these kinds of problems we are talking about before and it would be our fault as Zambians to allow dictatorship to happen because we have examples of people who fought for democracy.
The non-recognition of President Edgar Lungu is the issue that is creating the problem that we are facing now. Let us all accept that the elections are over. The Americans, the British, the Germans, the Zambians, everybody, has recognised who is the President and once that is done, then we, the Zambians, can talk. “Let us assume that there is another election in the next five years and the current Government loses and our brother who is in prison (Mr. Hichilema) wins, we will expect that people should accept. But if he does not accept now, why would he think people will accept if he wins?” Mr. Banda asked.
“Dr. Kaunda did it (conceding), I did it and I hope that others will also learn to do that,’’ Mr Banda said
