Lubinda
Justice Minister Given Lubinda has advised United Party for National Development- UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema and his followers to ask for amnesty from government for charges leveled against the opposition leader and his supporters.
“Its up to Mr Hichilema and other UPND members in incarceration to ask for amnesty from Government if they really need it, whoever goes to justice must go with clean hands,” Lubinda said.
The Justice Minister was reacting to Green Party President Peter Sinkamba’s appeal for Lubinda, in his capacity as Minister of Justice to extend amnesty to UPND members in incarceration.
Sinkamba urged PF and UPND to start reconciliation process for the country to be at peace.
But Lubinda said it was up to the incarcerated to seek amnesty and not the other way round.
Lubinda said the UPND members in incarceration would seek his amnesty and reconciliation if they so needed it.
However Lubinda noted that Sinkamba’s call for healing and reconciliation was a progressive move but that there was need for both players in the process to be willing.
Lubinda also said the fact that the UPND were not willing to seek amnesty for themselves was a sign that they did not want reconciliation.
“The appeal by Mr Sinkamba for reconciliation is really progressive, but this is not one sided because both parties should be willing. If the affected party really want my amnesty, then it is not for Mr Sinkamba to appeal but the aggrieved should do it themselves to show that they really mean it. The fact that the UPND are not willing to seek amnesty for themselves is a sign that they do not want reconciliation,” he said.
Lubinda, however, disclosed that he had tabled Mr Sinkamba’s appeal with his justice advisors, and that he would give his position on the amnesty soon.
The Justice Minister did not however mentioned that some of the incarnated opposition members were wrongful arrested and charged and some are in police cells and there is no compensation for those who were arrested wrongful
But PF Lusaka district chairman Stafford Kayame said Sinkamba’s appeal was done in good faith but that there was need for Hichilema and Mwamba to conform to the rule of law.
Kayame reiterated that the UPND leaders needed to accept the legitimacy of the electoral process and stop demeaning the Head of State. He advised Sinkamba to first counsel Hichilema and Mwamba to embrace peace and respect the President. Kayame emphasised that President Edgar Lungu had already started the reconciliation process by instructing all PF members to co-exist with other opposition supporters.
“Mr Sinkamba should first counsel HH and GBM so that these two UPND leaders and their party members accept the legitimacy of the electoral process. HH and GBM should then conform to the rule of law and stop demeaning the Head of State. President Edgar Lungu has already started the reconciliation process by instructing all PF members to co-exist with other opposition supporters,” he said.