. LUNGU

By STEVEN ZANDE, CHILA NAMAIKO,  REBECCA MUSHOTA and HELLEN TEMBO –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said that he is the only President for all Zambians and the United Party for National Development (UPND) should stop fighting that fact.
President Lungu says time for politicking has ended and all political parties should now work together to develop the nation.
He said opposition leaders who were scheming to cause instability in the country by perpetrating violence would be dealt with by law enforcement agencies.
“I want to remind opposition leaders that time for campaigns is over. The UPND should stop their continued reluctance to accept the August elections,” Mr Lungu said.
He was speaking in Chirundu yesterday when he addressed a public rally after meeting  traditional leaders and touring a number of developmental projects in the area.
Mr Lungu appealed to Patriotic Front (PF) members not to retaliate when provoked by the opposition to help maintain peace in the country.
And Vice-President Inonge Wina has warned  UPND cadres against perpetrating violence and has described the riotous behaviour by the cadres at the High Court on Thursday, as the highest degree of lawlessness.
Some UPND cadres ran amok, damaging motor vehicles as they staged an illegal march from their party secretariat to the High Court to protest over ‘delayed ‘court judgments in their favour.
The cadres, that were clad in party regalia, took to the streets around 10:00 hours and caused panic among residents as they chanted party slogans and threw stones at vehicles after which they forced their way into the High Court grounds and caused further damage.
Police fired teargas to disperse them and 55 were arrested and charged with riotous behavior, malicious damage and assaulting police officers.
During the vice-president’s question time in Parliament yesterday, Patriotic Front (PF) Mwansabombwe Member of Parliament (MP) Rogers Mwewa asked Ms Wina, the Government’s position over the riotous behaviour by UPND cadres.
Ms Wina said that no Government would tolerate lawlessness in any country whether it was emanating from the ruling or opposition political parties.
“There cannot be a situation where political cadres want to take decisions on behalf of the Judiciary even to decide where a case should be heard. Mr Speaker, this is unacceptable, it’s the highest degree of lawlenesses,”she said.
Ms Wina challenged the UPND leadership to discipline their cadres.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo said at a Press briefing yesterday that Police would scale up patrols to offer further protection to the public.
“I also wish to assure the Chief Justice, the judges and the judiciary of more Police protection at the courts,” Mr Kampyongo said.
The Judiciary in a statement also condemned the UPND cadres and has since banned political cadres from offering any solidarity at court grounds.
Judiciary chief administrator Nalishebo Imataa said that if the cadres continued, the court cases involved would be adjourned to later dates.
The PF has backed the Judiciary stance on the UPND members saying that the cadres’ actions were primitive.
PF deputy spokesperson Frank Bwalya at a Press briefing yesterday accused the UPND leadership of planning the unruly behaviour or failing to control their cadres.