By CHUSA SICHONE
in Itezhi-Tezhi –

• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu (left) during yesterday’s tour of the Itezhi Tezhi hydro power plant, currently under construction at a cost of US$245 million, in Itezhi-Tezhi District. Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATE HOUSE

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has issued a warning that anarchy will not be condoned ahead of the August general elections after suspected United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres ambushed residents of Bweengwa Constituency in Itezhi Tezhi, who attended a public rally he addressed. The President has since instructed the Inspector General of Police, Kakoma Kanganja to arrest anyone behind the attacks on Saturday. “Firstly, I would like to ask the Inspector General of Police Kakoma Kanganja, where are you? Where is Zambia Police? I am asking because on Saturday our PF members were beaten in Bweengwa. We had a very peaceful and successful meeting at Bweengwa Primary School. After the meeting, as party officials were going home, they were attacked by UPND thugs,” he said. And addressing a public rally at Itezhi-Tezhi Basic School ground yesterday, President Lungu said he did not want to see lives lost unnecessarily as that would bring shame to Zambia’s democracy. President Lungu accused the UPND of being a violent political party whose chances of forming Government after August 11, 2016 general elections were slim. He had since challenged UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to consider quitting politics if he lost the forthcoming presidential elections as it was frustrating if one continued losing in elections in the manner the opposition leader had done. Mr Lungu said between now and August 11, the day of elections, anarchy would not be allowed to prevail in any part of the country. Mr Lungu says he is ready to concede defeat after the August 11, 2016 general elections. President Lungu said his major concern, as advised by the First Lady Esther Lungu, was not the outcome of the elections, but the country’s peace. President Lungu said this amid applause at Saint Barbara Catholic Church in Itezhi-Tezhi District, where he joined several congregants for the morning church service. “Believe it or not, the First Lady has told me, ‘don’t worry about the results of the elections, worry about the peace and I agree with her because there are a lot of us in this game of politics who are in it for the sake of power. “Let me assure the people of Zambia that I am not in politics for power, I am in politics for the service that I can give to the people of Zambia. Therefore, if the people of Zambia choose not to give me support, I will accept the results,” he said.’ He said democracy allowed anyone to do wherever they wanted to, including to ask the electorate to vote for a candidate of their choice without intimidation, but that democracy could not thrive without the existence of peace. President Lungu said he was a democrat committed to seeing to it that democracy prevailed in the country by ensuring that law and order was observed by everyone. Saint Barbara Catholic Church Parish priest Rogers Nyanga said peace was a God-given gift and thus urged all political players and the citizenry to maintain it and pray for it to continue even beyond the polls. Father Nyanga urged politicians to accept the outcome of the August general elections as there could be only one winner at a time, adding that political parties came and went but peace should remain. Prominent among those that accompanied President Lungu to church were Defence Minister Richwell Siamunene, Livestock and Fisheries Minister Greyford Monde and Central Province Minister Davies Chisopa. Others were Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda, President Lungu’s special assistant for political affairs Kaizer Zulu, campaign manager Samuel Mukupa and Patriotic Front deputy secretary-general Mumbi Phiri.