Government has responded to National Restoration Party President Elias Chipimo over his call for fresh elections on account that President Michael Sata is fatigued and looks frail.
The statement by Chipimo seems to have rattled the Patriotic Front establishment with Chief government spokesperson Dr Joseph Katema coming out hard on Chipimo.
BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT
Republic of Zambia
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services
STATEMENT BY HON. DR. JOSEPH KATEMA, MP, MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES ON CALLS FOR EARLY ELECTIONS BY NAREP PRESIDENT ELIAS CHIPIMO Jr
Government is concerned at the growing number of outlandish and unsubstantiated statements coming from opposition party leaders.
While it is true that we are a democracy and people are free to express themselves, we feel this freedom of speech should carry substance when coming from leaders. The recent veiled attacks on His Excellency President Michael Chilufya Sata by NAREP president Elias Chipimo Jr, at best smack of a phobia for senior citizens.
It cannot be disputed that Mr Chipimo has in the past issued very sincere and constructive statements, but it looks like he has run out of ideas and now believes his biggest asset is age.
According to Mr Chipimo, President Sata should call for early elections because he is going through terrible hardships and is fatigued and stressed with the burden of running the country. What Mr Chipimo forgot to announce to the media he was addressing is when he graduated from medical school and when he was engaged to ascertain the President’s or anybody’s health.
Mr Chipimo and his fellow opposition leaders should know that as leaders the words that come out of their mouths have a direct reflection on their characters and if they engage in character assassination as their prime mover of their agendas, the electorates they seek votes from will further be alienated from them.
To answer Mr Chipimo: there will be no early elections and since he prides himself of being young, he should just wait for 2016.
President Sata is not fatigued. President Sata is focused on ensuring the promises he made to the Zambian people are achieved and no amount of detraction from the likes of Mr Chipimo or any other political leader will change the President’s resolve.
People are seeing change; not just in infrastructure development, but also in the mature manner this country is being run.
Hon. Dr. Joseph Katema, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON.
12th May, 2014
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