Dialogue should be led by ZCID – President Lungu

Edgar Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema

President Edgar Lungu says the impending dialogue process should be driven by the Zambia Center for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) as the umpire and not external players who can only participate as observers.

President Lungu notes that there is nothing wrong for outside players to participate, but only as observers and not as adjudicators because Zambia is capable of addressing its own issues as a sovereign nation, and that historically Zambians have come out of very difficult situations on their own.

He says it is wrong for external forces to lead the process dialogue with set conditions in a sovereign national like Zambia when the country was not even on fire.

President Lungu also notes that the dialogue process for political parties is a give and take scenario and all participants have to play to rules of the discussions and not to individuals.

He says the PF is ready to dialogue whenever all the stakeholders involved are ready to do so.

The Head of State said this at State House today when UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia, who is also UNDP Resident Representative Janet Rogan paid a courtesy call on him to ascertain the President’s stance on talks with the opposition.

And President Lungu is deeply concerned that the media in the country has continued to push political agendas at the expense of serious matters of national development.

He is saddened that the country is spending so much time politicking at the expense of seeking solutions to many challenges that the people are faced with.

President Lungu says the media is awash with politics at the expense of discussing serious matters of how the government should address issues such as maternal mortality; improve life expectancy and sensitizing people on cholera prevention.

He says no one wants to focus on things that matter such as putting food on the table of the suffering people, water reticulation, addressing gender based violence and early marriages.

This is contained in a statement issued by State house Chief Analyst press and public relations Cecilia Mulenga.