Opposition’s regime change ploy exposed

SOME opposition parties want to use the dialogue process facilitated by the Commonwealth as means to facilitate regime change, the Zambia DNA has said.

Zambian DNA spokesperson Spuki Mulemwa told the Daily Nation yesterday that there was a strong desire among disgruntled political parties to usurp power using backdoor methods by taking advantage of interventions from international bodies.

Mr. Mulemwa cited UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s remarks that President Edgar Lungu was scared of the dialogue process because he was afraid of losing power to him as one such reckless statement which clearly indicated that the opposition’s obsession in the whole process was premised on wanting to lead Zambia.

He said when the Catholic Bishops initially proposed the dialogue process, the UPND was reluctant and demanded that certain benchmarks be met before the process could start but wondered why they had suddenly sprung up to commit themselves to the process after the intervention of the Commonwealth.

He said the national dialogue must not be seen as a process for meeting an individual political party’s ego and insatiable appetite for power but a process that will foster national unity and peace adding that those who thought the Commonwealth would hand over power to them were “counting the wrong stars” and living in denial because Zambians will never allow such manoeuvres to take place.

“Some opposition political parties’ agenda for the dialogue facilitated by the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland is ill-conceived. It seems there is a strong desire to use the dialogue process as means to facilitate regime change. For example, the remarks attributed to Mr. Hichilema in a named tabloid insinuating that President Lungu does not want the dialogue because he is afraid of losing power are not only unfounded but also malicious.

“President Lungu was always been ready to dialogue long before Hichilema was incarcerated but the UPND leader has vehemently refused to recognize him as a duly elected Republican President. Now, how does he dialogue with someone whom he has not recognized?” Mr. Mulemwa asked.

He said the dialogue process must be based on building consensus on electoral issues and not a means of facilitating for regime change.

“Zambian DNA is of the view that the process of dialogue is a platform for building consensus on electoral issues, and not means for regime change. We also believe that ascension to power in Zambia is through the ballot box, and not via schemes designed to unseat the democratically- elected Government.

“Emotional outbursts by some disgruntled politicians aimed at inciting the Zambians to rise against their elected Government are tantamount to treason because President Lungu was duly elected Republican President in the 2016 polls. All those aspiring to run for presidency should wait for 2021 when President Lungu’s current term of office expires,” he said.