. Lungu

By REBECCA MUSHOTA in Isoka –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said the Patriotic Front (PF) has continued to grow ever since it came into power judging by the number of seats it has scooped.
Mr Lungu said unlike the United Party for National Development (UPND) that has lost numbers in Parliament from 2001, the PF has continued to win seats.
“We are gaining Parliamentary seats. But the UPND is growing on Facebook and losing seats,” he said.
The President was speaking in Isoka when he addressed a meeting adding that it was unfortunate that youths had engaged in political violence on Youth Day.
Mr Lungu said PF youths should focus on explaining developmental projects to voters and ignore people like some UPND youths that were provocative.
For the marketeers, he said the Presidential empowerment programme would soon reach beneficiaries in Isoka, while Government would soon embark on the constructing a modern market for them.
Meanwhile, President Lungu said millers should first provide for the Zambian market before exporting mealie-meal.
He warned that Government would be forced to cancel millers’ export permits if Zambians continued to be disadvantaged.
The President also said that he stood by his earlier statement issued on his behalf, declaring that civil servants seeking political party adoption should resign immediately.
Mr Lungu said there was some sentiment of resistance from some people who failed to accept the statement, because it was issued by his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda.
“Let me clarify one thing, Amos Chanda is my Special Assistant who issued the statement on my behalf.
“People have to decide now if they want to run for political office. You can’t have both,” he said.
Mr Lungu was speaking when he addressed a public meeting in New Chinsali Market yesterday.
He also said the party would only adopt a candidate that the people wanted.
Mr Lungu said the party would not impose a candidate in any constituency.
The people should pick candidates that were humble and easy to work with.
Earlier in Shiwang’andu, President Lungu said the public was the authority from whom he drew his power.
He said the power was in the hands of the people and that was why the PF administration only undertook projects that the people wanted.
President Lungu was speaking when he launched the recently completed administration block in Shiwang’andu District.
President Lungu said Government would continue taking development to all parts of the country, because his Government was committed to doing what it was told by the Zambian people.
Government would continue with all programmes started by late President Michael Sata.
Mr Lungu said he ran a Government with a national character that did not discriminate against any region.
He also advised Shiwang’andu Member of Parliament Stephen Kampyongo to inform him of the challenges the area faced in Lusaka where they both worked and not at a public place such as the meeting yesterday after Mr Kampyongo told him that the district was experiencing some challenges.