PF peddling lies over dialogue – UPND

Charles Kakoma

The opposition UPND says it is shocked that the ruling party PF is peddling lies that the party has agreed for the Zambia Center for Inter Party Dialogue (ZCID) to lead the dialogue process.

UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma says the UPND rejected the proposal last year to have ZCID to lead the dialogue process because they have no capacity.

Mr. Kakoma says since then, the Commonwealth in consultation with other stakeholders, has come up with a new and revised strategy paper in which the dialogue process in Zambia will be spearheaded by a Political Dialogue Steering Committee and not the ZCID.

He says for the avoidance of doubt, the Commonwealth Special Envoy for the Zambian dialogue talks Professor Ibrahim Gambari stated at his latest press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka held on 11th March 2018 that the talks will be spearheaded by the Political Dialogue Steering Committee.

He states that the PF are sleeping and dreaming about the ZCID leading the Commonwealth dialogue talks in Zambia and that they should wake up and face the new reality that the ZCID will not lead the dialogue process.

Mr. Kakoma says the Steering Committee is the agreed Zambian owned and-led oversight body mandated to steer, manage and coordinate the national dialogue process, under the overall guidance and consultation with the Commonwealth Special Envoy for the Zambian dialogue talks Prof Ibrahim Gambari.

He adds that after the formation of the Steering committee, the nominees from all stakeholders will meet and elect a chairperson from among the members.