• President Edgar Lungu thanks the residents of Chifubu Constituency in Ndola for voting for PF at Chifubu market yesterday. Picture by ROYD SIBAJENE/ZANIS

By JOSEPH BANDA –
SAYING he is “not a coward but a man of peace”, President Edgar Lungu has assured Zambians that he will defend democracy to the end.
Speaking to a throng of Government officials and Patrtiotic Front faithful in Ndola yesterday, Mr Lungu he was committed to the dialogue process with those in the opposition who were prepared to engage him.
Dialogue was the source of wisdom and opposition parties willing to engage him were welcome and those not interested would be left out because there was no other way forward.
‘Let them have their say and we will have our way. I will pick sensible criticism because there is no monopoly in wisdom,” he said.
He said contrary to perceptions in some quarters, he was not a coward but a man of peace.
The Head of State said this when he addressed scores of Patriotic Front (PF) members at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe international airport as he arrived in Ndola to commission a US$ 120 million soya bean crushing plant at Global Industries.
He said he was happy that peace had continued on the Copperbelt because democracy was about choosing leaders the people wanted.
He said Zambians should not let undemocratic people go to State House because some people were busy forming political parties without holding any intra-party elections to legitimise their leadership.
He said the PF Government was refining the constitution and amending electoral laws to entrench the democracy in Zambia.
He said he was a peaceful man and not a coward as perceived by some people.
Copperbelt Minister Japhen Mwakalombe said people in the province happy the Government had released K200 million to pay local contractors.
He said the youths in the province were happy that part of the copper slug, the Black Mountain had been given to the youth who were initially considered to be illegal miners.
“Sir, while others want to use illegal means to enter State House you are consolidating,” he said.
PF Copperbelt province chairperson Michael Kainga said that the party in the region was preparing for intra-party elections and would not let any party disturb its strong position.