Lungu will decide if he wants to stand in 2021 – Wina

Vice-President Inonge Wina has aimed a dig at opposition leaders in a quest to justify President Edgar Lungu’s bid to go for another term of office in 2021.

In an apparent reference to UPND and FDD, Wina said that the issue of leaders clinging onto power is not only a phenomenon of sitting presidents because the trend also exists even amongst opposition political parties.

And Wina says the PF and President Lungu himself will decide if he wants to recontest the presidency at the next general elections.

Speaking in parliament when responded to a question from Choma Central Member of Parliament Cornelius Mweetwa, Wina said the ruling party had seen opposition leaders hold on to power for a very long time without allowing intra-party democracy to take root.

Mweetwa had queried the Vice-President to state exactly what the PF’s position was with regards to its 2021 Presidential candidate since President Lungu and the ruling party’s Secretary General were issuing contradictory statements.

“…This is bringing some level of uncertainty in the minds of the citizens. In view of the aforesaid, your honour the Vice-President what is the correct position that the citizens of this country should take about the desire of President Lungu to contest or not recontest the elections in 2021 and not the legality which is being challenged in Court,” submitted Mweetwa.

But Wina said: “Madam Speaker, clinging to power is not a phenomena of a presiding President because we have seen even in political parties that leaders have held on to power for a very long time without allowing intra-party democracy to take root in those parties. The Secretary General of the PF has every right to inform the nation as to the party’s preferred candidate at any given time. So this is what happens.

“In any case, President Lungu never declared that he would never stand [in 2021], he said that his term of office, the current term of office ends in 2021 and then it will be decided by the party and himself whether he wants to stand or not. So if there are leaders who are aspiring to take that position in here hear me.”