I won’t impose a successor - Lungu

It is lies that there is a group from Luapula from which he is going to choose a successor.

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has clarified that he will not impose a successor on the party but that members will choose who will lead the Patriotic Front.

It is lies that there is a group from Luapula from which he is going to choose a successor.

The Head of State said lies had been peddled about the existence of a clique of ministers from Luapula indicating that he wanted one of them to take over from him.

Mr Lungu said such lies could destroy the party as people might rise against an innocent individual.

President Lungu said he didn’t care who succeeded him but warned that the lies being peddled, especially against ministers, might destroy the party.

He said this when he addressed party members in Kafue on Saturday.

“The problem is that we don’t want to learn from our past, the time President Sata left us some people were saying it is them to become party president because that is what President Sata wanted. But people themselves chose who they felt must be the leader of the party.

“So why can’t we wait for people to choose who will lead the party after me.

“People must choose who will take this party to another level, I will not impose anyone to take over from me. People have been saying Mr Lungu has the Luapula 11 to take over the leadership, who are those Luapula 11?”

Adding: “People are saying because Kennedy Kamba is from Luapula and the SG is from Luapula they are the ones I want to lead the party after me, those are lies,” President Lungu said.

The Head of State said people were just wasting their time talking about unnecessary issues because he was not the one to choose the next party president.

“The challenge is that if they see Vincent Mwale being close to State House because he is hard working and is the person being used to do a lot of things then people will start peddling lies against him so that they dent his image,” President Lungu said.

And President Lungu clarified that he had powers to choose his running mate without being instructed by anyone.

He said he would choose someone to be his running in 2021 who he felt he could work efficiently and deliver to the people of Zambia.