Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
NGOCC Board Chairperson Sara Longwe
The Non-Governmental Organisations Coordinating Council (NGOCC) has condemned the alleged intimidating statement attributed to President Edgar Lungu against the ConCourt judges.
NGOCC Board Chairperson Sarah Longwe in a statement issued to QTV News says in this statement, made while addressing his political party members in Solwezi on Thursday, 2nd November 2017, the President presumed to instruct ConCourt on how it should take decisions on a crucial constitutional matter that is currently before the Court.
Ms Longwe says the President’s statement went further to suggest that there were Zambian court judges who are collaborating with a section of the international community to bar him from standing in the 2021 election.
She says this is a clear and grievous breach of the constitutional principle of the separation of power between the executive and the judiciary.
Ms Longwe states that the president’s statement is obviously intended to put undue pressure on the Judiciary to interpret the Constitution in his favor and even seems to warn of some unspecified sanction if the ConCourt rules against him.
She furthermore states that the statement is symptomatic of the growing trend by power hungry African leaders who want to cling to power at whatever cost.