Zambia’s president tells lawyers to challenge him in the political arena

LUSAKA: Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday challenged a group of eminent lawyers to form a party and face him in the political arena instead of hiding behind their professional body.

Lungu accused the Law Association of Zambia of abusing the profession by politicking, after the body criticised his decision to invoke Article 31 of the constitution which has led to the declaration of a threatened state of public emergency.

The presidential move follows a spate of damage to public properties, including the setting on fire of markets, including the main market in Lusaka, the country’s capital.

On Monday, the body questioned the circumstances for invoking Article 31 and why the declaration had been made before probes into the attacks concluded.

The Zambian leader said it was unacceptable for the association to play politics, especially when citizens were looking to them to interpret the law properly.

“Let them form a political party. Let them go ahead. Let them not abuse the profession because what they are doing is politics,” he said.

“To abuse the law, the legal profession I belong to, is totally unacceptable. It is a very noble profession.”

The association has come under increased attack from both government and ruling party officials.

In May, youths from the ruling party stormed the association’s headquarters in Lusaka, demanding the resignation of its president, Linda Kasonde, after accusing her of backing the main opposition party.

During an extraordinary general meeting held in April, some lawyers aligned to the ruling party attempted to impeach the executive body of the association but the bid failed after the majority of the lawyers rejected it, while some called for the association to split.