CHANDA RUBBISHES LUNGU’S IMMUNITY REMOVAL TALK
STOP playing with immunity because attempts to remove the immunity of former Presidents have twice proved disastrous in the past, New Congress Party leader Peter Chanda has said.
Mr Chanda said attempts to remove the immunity of former Presidents, Fredrick Chiluba and Rupiah Banda failed to achieve what they wanted yet colossal sums of public funds were spent.
He said calls to remove former President Edgar Lungu’s immunity would paint a bad picture about the country's democracy.
He said Mr Lungu’s immunity should be sustained and deserves respect for peacefully handing over power even when he had reasons to petition the election.
Mr Chanda said those calling for Mr Lungu’s immunity to be lifted had a grudge against the former Head of State and just want to settle their personal vendetta.
He told the Daily Nation that the removal of Mr Lungu's presidential immunity would amount to witch-hunting and political persecution of a former Head of State
Mr Chanda added that such a move would dent the country’s democratic accolades.
“Removing former President Edgar Lungu’s immunity will just paint a bad picture about our democracy. In fact, he deserves respect for peacefully and gracefully handing over power even when he had reasons to petition the election.
“I would like to advise President Hakainde Hichilema not to be misled by those who have a grudge against the former Head of State and are now advocating for the removal of his immunity,” Mr Chanda said.
He said Mr Lungu should be
allowed to rest and retire from active politics in peace.
Mr Chanda said the UPND government should take a leaf from the previous administrations that tried to prosecute former Presidents but failed to secure convictions despite spending a lot of money.
He recalled how late former
President Levy Mwanawasa started an anti-corruption crusade against late second President Frederick Chiluba whose cases ended in an acquittal and up to date, the government owes the Chiluba family a lot of money.
The removal of President Rupiah Banda’s immunity, he said, ended in an acquittal, even now his immunity had not been reinstated.
He said, “President Hichilema should concentrate on fixing the economy and not fixing people.”
Last week, a Lusaka youth, Dillon Mayangwa, called for the removal of Mr Lungu's immunity so that he could be tried in the courts of law.
Mr Mayangwa said as parliament commences sittings, it should consider removing the former president's immunity for him to answer to the many corruption scandals that happened during his tenure.