Tue, 18 Jul 2017 15:01:23 +0000
…you are sowing discontent in the nation – minister
By SIMON MUNTEMBA and AARON CHIYANZO
GOVERNMENT has accused the Law Association of Zambia of sowing seeds of discontent and doubt in the minds of citizens by questioning circumstances that led to the invocation of Article 31 by President Edgar Lungu.
Kampamba Mulenga, the government spokesperson last night reacted sharply to the LAZ statement questioning the President’s decision to invoke Article 31 meant to protect lives and property following a spate of acts of sabotage and arson around the country.
Ms Mulenga, who is also Information and Broadcasting minister, said, “we note with regret that the statement went further to doubt the circumstances under which Article 31 was invoked.”
“It is disappointing and shocking that an organization like LAZ can question the circumstances leading to the invocation of Article 31 yet the reasons were given by the President in his address to the nation,” the minister said.
She said it was clear that the LAZ statement was not made in good faith but merely calculated to raise doubts in the minds of people.
She was reacting to the LAZ assertions in their statement yesterday that though the President had legally invoked the Article 31, they questioned the reasons for invocation.
According to LAZ president, Linda Kasonde, the invocation of Article 31 should only have been done after a conclusive, and thorough investigations of the fires and acts of sabotage that had rocked the country by the police.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, LAZ president Linda Kasonde said that the threatened state of emergency was invoked legally under Article 31.
Ms Kasonde however said that the Executive should have been reluctant to invoke Article 31 despite such power being given to the President under the Constitution.
She explained that the Executive should have waited for the police to conclude investigations in all the fires and acts of sabotage that had rocked the country before the invocation.
Ms Kasonde said that LAZ would engage with Government to discuss some of the issues pertaining to the recently declared threatened state of emergency.
“We have taken note of the reasons given in invoking Article 31. We sympathize with the victims of all these unfortunate events but also note there is yet to be conclusive outcome of investigation.
“For this reason, we think the Executive should have been reluctant to invoke Article 31 despite such power being given to the President,” she said.
The minister on the other hand noted that it is disappointing and shocking that an organization like LAZ can question the circumstances leading to the invocation of Article 31, yet the reasons were given by the President in his address to the nation.
Ms Mulenga further says if LAZ doubts the reasons advance by the President, they should have taken the matter to court as opposed to bringing doubts in the minds of many innocent Zambians.
The minister wondered why LAZ did not challenge the matter in court if the association was questioning the application of Preservation of Public Security Act (PPA) to the current situation of a threatened state of emergency.
“If indeed LAZ does not believe that the PPA applies to Article 31, they should have challenged the matter in court. Again this, they have neglected to do and have opted to cause doubts in the minds of Zambians,” the minister said.
The minister also advised LAZ to be professional as opposed to peddling narrow “pedestrian views on important national issues as this one.”
She advised LAZ to stick to its mandates and not involve itself in issues it may not have the necessary competence such as security.
