By: Ollus Ndomu
U.S. President Joe Biden’s UN General Assembly speech in which he congratulated Zambian youths for voting out corruption during the August 12 general elections, has irked big wigs within Zambia’s former ruling party, the Patriotic Front (PF).
President Biden said in his address to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly:
“Democracy lives on in the young people of Zambia who harnessed the power of the vote, turning out in record numbers to denounce corruption and chart a new path for their country.”
The statement which has made punchy headlines in Zambian local tabloids, has fallen under PF condensation as its shocked-looking vice president Given Lubinda said Friday that it was unacceptable for the US President to say that Zambians voted out his party due to corruption.
Speaking to the local Radio Phoenix, Lubinda, a former Justice Minister, charged that President Biden had no right whatsoever to comment on PF’s loss adding that no member of his party had been convicted for corruption.
Lubinda who disclosed that his party had written to the US Embassy in Zambia to express its displeasure over comments also asked President Biden to thank Zambia for teaching America democracy:
“Biden did not receive the instruments of power from his predecessor, his predecessor shunned the inauguration.
“President Lungu, what did he do? He went and handed over the instruments of authority, tell me who the true democrats are?
The PF government which under former President Edgar Lungu, had fallen short of America’s favour, charged that it was mockery for Americans to claim that they are a 200 years democracy when they cannot accept election results.
According to the party’s high ranking officials, it was unacceptable for Biden to label the PF as corrupt while he was killing people in Haiti:
“Look at the shambolic elections they had, and they call themselves a democracy? No, Joe Biden must be made to seat where he is supposed to seat.”
“For us we are reading in the press on how he is killing people in Haiti and he must apologize to mankind for that,” said Lubinda.
Members of the now dyfunct PF have from last month sponsored gay rights stories in local tabloids, accusing Zambia’s new Republican President Hakainde Hichilema of scheming to introduce LGBTQ rights in exchange for economic funding.
Earlier last week, Republican Vice President Mutale Nalumango categorically stated in parliament that gay rights would not be introduced in Zambia adding that the 18-million man Southern African country was led based on christian values.
Meanwhile, opposition PF members, Andrew Lubusha and Raphael Nakachinda have continued to peddle misinformation about the seemingly thriving President Hichilema’s friendship with western powers saying Zambia would soon have gay communities.
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