. Scott

By KASONDE KASONDE –
PATRIOTIC Front (PF) deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya has accused former vice-president Guy Scott of being bitter and of openly decampaigning President Edgar Lungu.
Mr Bwalya wondered why Dr Scott, who is still a member of the PF Central Committee, despite having endorsed United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema, was still clinging on to the ruling party.
He said from the onset, Dr Scott had embarked on a destructive mission to stop Mr Lungu from becoming Republican President in a manner that threatened the survival of the PF.
He was speaking at a Press briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday.
“As far as we are concerned, Dr Scott and Geoffrey Mwamba are not defectors, but members of PF who have decided to decampaign President Lungu,” Mr Bwalya said.
He said Dr Scott had not defected, but was still a PF member who had decided to go public with his schemes of decampaigning Mr Lungu.
Mr Bwalya said former Matero Member of Parliament Miles Sampa was not a defector too but merely left the party to expose the scandal of belonging to two political parties at the same time, namely, PF and Democratic Front .
He charged that the PF was not worried about power-hungry individuals who had chosen to endorse other candidates as a way of fighting Mr Lungu because their schemes were bound to fail.
Mr Bwalya said the PF was strong and would keep getting stronger following the large numbers of people applying to stand on the party’s ticket.
He also described sentiments by UPND president Hakainde Hichilema that the Government was victimising civil servants with surnames from a certain region as unfounded.
He said civil servants were not allowed to participate in active politics because this derailed Government programmes.
“It is wrong for Mr Hichilema to claim that it is civil servants from one region who are being fired or disciplined for destructive political activity.
“These claims are highly irresponsible and such reckless statements have the potential to fuel tribal hatred,” Mr Bwalya said.