By JAMES KUNDA –

.President Lungu (Right) with President Kabila of DRC

STATE HOUSE has said President Edgar Lungu counselled Congolese President Joseph Kabila on his recent trip to Zambia on measures to end the prevailing political unrest in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Special Assistant to President Lungu for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda said allegations, allegedly published by the Lusaka Times that the President said the friendship between the two countries depended on President Kabila running for another term of office despite his final term ending in 2016 were false.
Mr Chanda said it was extremely unfortunate of the opposition to claim that Mr Lungu, who is the deputy and incoming chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security-Troika should have declined hosting the DRC leader.
He said the Lusaka Times story, if it was indeed published as reported, was purely fake news and damaged the credibility of the firm.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has described as baseless Zambian opposition leaders’ criticism of his interaction with Rwandese President Paul Kagame and Mr Kabila of the DRC, on the pretext that the duo governed on principles of dictatorship.
Mr Lungu said as far as he was concerned, Mr Kagame whom he recently visited and Mr Kabila, who recently visited Zambia, were democratically elected leaders by a majority vote in their countries.
“What do they (opposition) know about the history and politics of those countries (Rwanda and DRC)? They can’t even talk about Zambian politics. Who are they? The problem is that we talk too much in Zambia,” Mr Lungu said.
The Head of State said this to journalists at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka yesterday upon arrival from Kigali, Rwanda where he was hosted on a State visit by Mr Kagame.
He said ballot papers for the 2021 general elections would be printed locally by the Government printing department in Lusaka and challenged those against the move to produce evidence of how it could amount to poll rigging.