By MILDRED KATONGO –
ALL the Patriotic Front (PF) Members of Parliament (MP) on the Copperbelt have endorsed President Edgar Lungu as the candidate for 2021.
Copperbelt MPs chairperson Alexander Chiteme said the 24 parliamentarians will support President Lungu as he was allowed by the Constitution to stand for another term in 2021.
Mr Chiteme who is Nkana Member of Parliament in Kitwe said all the lawmakers would rally behind the candidature of Mr Lungu in 2021.
He said during a press briefing in Ndola yesterday that the President declared his interest to stand when he visited the Copperbelt and that all the parliamentarians would support him.
“We have all gathered here to declare and support our President. We have endorsed him and we will support him in 2021. Our President should be assured that he has the support of all parliamentarians on the Copperbelt, and we distance ourselves from rumours claiming that we are divided,” he said.
Deputy Chief whip Stephen Chungu said the Constitution was clear and gave the mandate for President Lungu to stand in 2021 and that all PF MP’s in the province were in support and no one objected to the President’s interest to stand.
Mr Chungu, who is Luanshya Central MP, said since the President’s announcement declaring his interest to stand as president in 2021, no one on the Copperbelt had objected and that they would rally behind him.
“All the parliamentarians, including the independent MP’s will support the president, he has shown his good leadership skills and we will support him. As far as I am concerned, no one on the Copperbelt has objected and as MP’s we assure him of our full support,” he said.
Copperbelt Minister Bowman Lusambo said he was proud of the law makers who had endorsed President Lungu as their candidate in 2021.
Mr Lusambo who is Kabushi member of Parliament said the province was a no go area for opposition political parties.
He said President Lungu had initiated a lot of projects in the province and that he deserved to be supported in 2021.
Mr Lusambo said the members of Parliament should not listen to others who wanted the party to be divided but work together and remain united.
“I am proud of the law makers on the Copperbelt for coming out in the open and support President Lungu. We will support and will not allow anyone fighting our President because we will as a province ensure that we fight them back,” he said.
PF provincial chairperson Stephen Kainga said the party in the area was intact and that the move by the MPs to support President Lungu was a right decision.
Mr Kainga said the party structures were intact and equal to the task and urged the parliamentarians to be focused and work hard to develop the province.