The opposition UPND has commented on reports coming from New York where State House Press Aide Amos Chanda says the US government has recognised the election of Edgar Lungu.
UPND Secretary General Stephen Katuka in a statement to Zambian Eye Monday morning said his party doubts Chanda’s claims. He says State House has been issuing a lot of lies.
Below is the statement:
19th September 2016
Press Statement
We take note of the statement issued by Amos Chanda after Edgar Lungu met with US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield in US over the weekend.
According to the statement, the US government has recognised Lungu as the duty elected President of Zambia despite the flaws in the electoral process that were identified.
Since it was said to be a private indoor meeting, we would possibly be glad to hear what was actually discussed than relying on the statement from the State House Press Office which we know has been telling lies and highly discredited.
We doubt the US government can gladly welcome the results of such a flawed process from the violence and brutality that characterised pre-election period, media biases and clampdown, to serious anomalies during the counting process and further closure of media houses after elections.
Further, we doubt the US government can endorse the circus that happened during the court proceedings that resulted in our petition not being heard at all against the fundamental principles of democracy which we know the American government has been very strong on.
We further doubt the legitimacy of the claims being made in the State House statement because we are fully aware the US government has seen the various reports of observers such as the highly respected preliminary report by the Carter Centre which is funded by the American Government.
We also know that the US government are fully aware of the happenings in Zambia pre-elections. Edgar Lungu, himself, refused to meet Ms. Greenfield when she came as US President Barrack Obama’s envoy ahead of the elections with a view to address some governance issues.
Our apprehension with the released statement from Sate House is also on how we have known Americans to have a long standing history of condemning and not congratulating thieves.
This is also evidenced by their earlier statement on governance in Zambia issued by John Kirby, Assistant Secretary and Department Spokesperson, Bureau of Public Affairs Washington, DC, when they said in part
“The United States is disappointed that politically motivated violence and constraints on media freedom have continued after Zambia’s August 11 general election”.
If indeed the State House statement represents what was said, then it seems the US Government has made a complete departure from their earlier statements, observation mission reports and what is actually obtaining on the ground.
It could also be that the Americans have resigned from the actual situation since the Zambian people seem not interested in taking up the matter in the streets like other countries have been doing when there are flaws in the entire system.
Stephen Katuka
UPND Secretary General