PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu admires Donald Trump, says NDC vice president Josephs Akafumba.
The former justice permanent secretary says come August, Zambians should expect the unexpected from President Lungu.
Akafumba says President Lungu is a lawyer who has no respect for the Constitution, not even the PF one.
In an interview, Akafumba said democracy should not be anchored on an individual but institutions of governance.
“It is clear that come August and he loses, people should expect the unexpected. Already the statement he made when he met African diplomats accredited to Zambia when he said no one should come to lecture to him because ‘these have problems in their own countries’ is an indication that he won’t concede. He is already defining democracy in his own way. It is democracy made or defined by President Edgar Lungu,” he said. “We know that he admires Donald Trump and he wishes it were him. So we would not be surprised to see President Lungu completely refusing defeat which is coming and secondly even send cadres to disturb the final announcement of results and even go further to refuse to have the incoming president sworn in.” Akafumba said no one should be proud of what US President Trump is doing.
“Why has the Head of State failed to blame Donald Trump over the invasion of the US Senate? This is a sign that he will not concede,” he said. “We are comforted by the fact that the USA is a very strong democratic country. Democracy should not be anchored on an individual. It is anchored on institutions of governance, which unfortunately PF under President Lungu have completely damaged. Look at what they did in Lusaka to Nsama Nsama and Joseph Kaunda. They fired at the cadres who went to give support to Hakainde Hichilema as if they were shooting tigers in a game park. Instead of firing [home affairs minister Stephen] Kampyongo and [Inspector General of Police Kakoma] Kanganja, Mr Lungu went for a softer spot in Eugene Sibote and Bonny Kapeso.”
Akafumba said the fear that Zambians have is not if but what would happen when President Lungu loses.
“Is he going to freely hand over?” he wondered.
Akafumba said President Lungu defied the PF constitution when he was elected by show of hands and fists in Kabwe in 2014.
“The PF constitution says a president shall be elected by secret ballot, but Mr Lungu who does not respect laws was elected by show of elbows, fists and pangas. There was no order and they went around getting those midnight injunctions. That does not show a lawyer who respects the Constitution,” said Akafumba.