DON’T BULLY GOVT, ZRP TELLS U.S.
IT is gross hypocrisy for the US government to threaten to withdraw aid to Zambia for denying Zimbabwean opposition leader Tendai Biti entry into the country Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) president Wright Musoma has charged. And Mr Musoma described as nonsense suggestions by some sections of society that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) should set another date for the UPND candidate in the Kasenengwa parliamentary byelection to file in nomination. The US government announced on Thursday in a statement that it had invited Zambia’s leaders to discuss Mr Biti’s matter and review certain aspects of cooperation with the Zambian government. “We are deeply concerned that Zambia chose to hand over former Minister of Finance Tendai Biti to the Zimbabwean authorities, and in the face of a reported Zambian court order blocking his expulsion from Zambia,” reads the statement issued by US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert. But in an interview yesterday, Mr Musoma said the behaviour of President Donald Trump’s administration towards Zambia was tantamount to bullying. Mr Musoma wondered why the US government had turned a blind eye on several human rights violations in that country and opted to interfere in domestic matters especially those of African countries. “First and foremost Mr Biti was not deported he was denied entry on the basis that he goes and answer to certain allegations. Why should he run away from Zimbabwe when democracy has been restored in that country under the new leadership? So America shouldn’t bully Zambia. They should stop treating us as if we don’t know what we are doing,” Mr Musoma said. He said although Zambia appreciated the support it was receiving from the US, it was wrong for that country to begin dictating how the PF government should run the affairs of the country. “Zambia should maintain its relationship with its neighbouring countries. There is no normal government that would want to frustrate its neighbours. If America proceeds to withdraw aid to Zambia we will then safely conclude that the US government is pushing a certain agenda,” he said. And Mr Musoma described as nonsense suggestions by some sections of society that the should set another date for the UPND candidate in the Kasenengwa parliamentary by-election to file in nomination. This follows the unceremonious “no show” by the party’s preferred candidate, Dr Faustin Banda. ‘That is utter nonsense. We wonder if UPND can really form a government. Suppose we set this kind of precedence, where is our country going to be. Didn’t the UPND know about the deadline? It’s just shows primitivity and immaturity for those calling for ECZ to set another date for the UPND candidate to file in nomination papers,” Mr Musoma said.