UPND PARANOID ABOUT ECL
And Mr Lubinda has said the Patriotic Front (PF) shall not thank the UPND for not removing former President Lungu’s immunity from prosecution because such a privilege was constitutionally bestowed on the former head of State.
Mr Lubinda, the PF vice president says had it been at the whims and caprices of President Hakainde Hichilema and his government, the former President would have lost his immunity to prosecution immediately the UPND formed government in 2021.
He said the UPND upon forming government, their initial desire was to strip Mr Lungu of his immunity, not because of any transgressions but only on the basis of political vengeance, vindictiveness and retribution.
“Former President Lungu is on record advising President Hichilema and the UPND government to move a process of removing his immunity. Those who want to strip him of his (Mr Lungu) immunity, let them be his guests because it has become extremely nauseating that each time the UPND want to talk about our former President, every little Jim and Jack wants to talk about his immunity. To hell with their immunity talk…had I been President Rupiah Banda, I would have said is iyi immunity ya anyoko. How can immunity become a whipping stick to blackmail President Lungu,” Mr Lubinda said.
Mr Lubinda said former President Lungu was not intimidated or cowed by threats of removing his immunity from prosecution.
He said the fact that Mr Lungu was causing sleepless nights among the UPND leadership and its hierarchy meant that the governing party was not confident about winning the 2026 general elections.
“Zambians know as much as the UPND does if they would be lucky to get to 2026 in the presence of former President Lungu who is receiving monumental support and popularity. The PF and the opposition in general is becoming so popular that the UPND has realised they are on the exit door,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said Zambians often were never moved by trivialities and that the reactions of the UPND since the former President returned to active politics was testimony that the former head of State was a significant political player in the country’s politics.
“They (UPND) have been trying so much to show that they are not concerned about former President Lungu’s return to active politics but instead have exhibited extreme paranoia. The UPND and President Hichilema have not yet accepted that former President Lungu is no longer head of State.
It is as though the former President will suddenly come up and say…hey, wait a minute, I am the President of Zambia and you (Hichilema) are not. The kind of fear the UPND is moving with because they were not prepared to win the 2021 general elections,” Mr Lubinda said.
He said the UPND and its surrogates were trying to make it appear as if the bestowing of immunity on President Lungu was an act of benevolence from President Hichilema and not an act of the dictates of the Constitution.
“The Constitution that provided that former President Lungu should have immunity is the same that provides how that immunity should be removed. So, the PF will not thank President Hichilema and the UPND for not removing his immunity even as we know that had it been at the whims and caprices of President Hichilema, former President Lungu would have had his immunity stripped a long time ago,” Mr Lubinda said.