Pres. Lungu Will Not Attend National Dialogue…Kambwili Withdraws from Dialogue

President Edgar Lungu will not be part of tomorrow’s National Dialogue.

And National Democratic Congress (NDC) consultant Chishimba Kambwili has withdrawn from the National Dialogue.

Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said that President Lungu could not attend the dialogue as he was out of the country attending a SADC Extraordinary Congress on the DRC crisis.

Siliya said even if President Lungu was in the country he would not have attended as no official invitation had been extended to him.

“The President of the Republic of Zambia has not received any invitation to attend the dialogue. Even if an invitation came today it is impossible for two reasons, the President is out of the country,” she said.

“Number two even if the President was in the country, government does not move the President on an invitation that comes less than 48 hours before.”

And Kambwili has withdrawn from attending the national dialogue and reconciliation meeting slated for Friday January 18.

Kambwili has told journalists during a briefing at his residence in Lusaka that he has withdrawn from attending to ensure that there is no excuse for the dialogue to be suspended.

The Roan Patriotic Front Member of Parliament said he was aware that the ruling party intended to break up the meeting of he was in attendance.

“At the last meeting I attended at Kapingila House I made it clear that the meeting will be meaningless if the issue of corruption will not be laid on the table. The PF got scared and said if I attend then they would not attend,” he said.

“I have reflected on the matter and for the sake of the dialogue not to be disrupted using Kambwili I have decided that I will not attend for the sake of the nation.”

He said that the NDC would be represented by Secretary General Mwenya Musenge.

“My message to the PF is go and tell your president that Chishimba Kambwili will not be there and he should go and face Zambians, but even if I will not be there he will face another Kambwili as  other political  parties will represent me  I can never be represented by Lungu because he has no integrity”, he said.