UPND Criticises Lungu For Skipping Peace Conference

The United Party for National Development has criticised President Lungu for failing to attend a peace conference organised by the three church mother bodies and civil society organisations. The opposition party says it shows a lack of respect on President Lungu’s part towards the organisers and demonstrates that he does not take matters of peace or national security seriously. 

In a statement released to the media, UPND information secretary Otis Bwalya said it was now clear that “President Lungu is the number one sponsor and supporter of political violence in the country”.

By contrast, he said the UPND and its leader Hakainde Hichilema believe in the politics of peace and unity. He promised to end “all forms of political violence once and for all” if his party is successful at August’s elections. 

The statement also promises to give the police “full autonomy and independence to operate professionally in the service of the Zambian people”. It rekindles criticism that the Patriotic Front has used the police to further its own political agenda, as when officers raided the home of HH’s in-laws in February. 

The peace conference took place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Wednesday and was attended by leaders from all of Zambia’s major political parties. UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema and his running mate Mutale Nalumango were both in attendance and signed a pledge promising to promote peace ahead of the country’s general elections on August 12th.

The Patriotic Front was represented by Secretary General Davies Mwila, while its leader, President Lungu, was on the Copperbelt inspecting development projects. 

The event was convened by the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue, alongside the church mother bodies and the Law Association of Zambia. The African Union’s special representative of the secretary general, Hannah Tetteh, and Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland both expressed their support for the initiative. 

Commenting after the event, HH said: “The responsibility for bringing peace cannot be delegated or ignored. The responsibility for building a country where each person has a good job, a fair wage, and affordable food, cannot be delegated or ignored. This is the responsibility of leadership.”