UPND national youth spokesperson Gilbert Liswaniso has described President Edgar Lungu as a weak coward who was using police to stop the opposition party from enjoying the freedom of Assembly.

Speaking when he featured on MUVI TV’s “Breakfast with the boys” live programme alongside PF cadre Maxwell Chongu, Liswaniso said the denied Kanyama rally will go ahead tomorrow.

“Now if what Kennedy Kamba said that ‘only when your recognize Edgar Lungu…’ for me it doesn’t hold any water, tomorrow we are going to have a rally in Kanyama. It is going ahead, it is our country, you know when a coward, a weak person is ruling you, he will use the police,” Liswaniso observed.

TV anchor Alexander Musokotwane then interjected to ask if the UPND youth leader was addressing President Lungu as a weak leader.

In response Liswaniso said “Yes the President is weak, he is a coward. Let me finish on that one! A leader will accommodate criticism and everything but the PF wants to do things one man show. It will never happen like that in Zambia, so we are going to participate despite petitioning them, despite not recognising him. The fact of the matter is that we are Zambians, he is Zambian we are all Zambians. So we are going to debate and participate in everything, this country is not for PF or Max alone no! Na Lwiswaniso nayeve is part of it!” he exclaimed.

He said the Police connived with the PF provincial youth leader, Kamba, to block the Kanyama rally and that was why the police command only issued a statement stopping the rally after Kamba advised.

“It is Kamba who advised the police because we don’t recognise Mr Edgar Lungu [as President of Zambia] and the police have followed the same, now what we are going to tell you is, we as UPND, if there will be bloodshed it is the responsibility of the police to go to Kanyama to protect us,” he said.

Meanwhile PF cadre Max Chongu challenged Liswaniso that if UPND recognised President Lungu, he would assist the opposition party get a rally permit.

“Zambia Police is appointed by the President so if you are not respecting the appointing authority how then do you want to go for favours from the person who has been appointed by the President. I don’t understand how they don’t want to respect the person but want favours from organs that are not directly under him. If UPND can prove beyond any reasonable doubt that they can give the name of the president and the ruling party, then I will help him get the permit,” Chongu said.

He said police denied the UPND a rally permit because it could be a threat to peace.

“The only reason why I feel…and please don’t misquote me. I want to put this on record, I am convinced looking at the way my brother is talking and [with the] recent happenings in our country, that’s the only reason why the Police has refused UPND to hold the rally in Kanyama and the one they are planning to have on the Copperbelt is because they have proven beyond any reasonable doubt that it is not a peaceful gathering, it’s not going to be a peaceful gathering,” said Chongu.

Although the TV presenter did not ask Chongu if the PF was recently declared dead, the influential ruling party cadre has adopted the name “PF DIE HARD”.

After the MMD got split and it’s existence was at the verge of extinction, Bowman Lusambo adopted the name “MMD DIE HARD”, but that did not stop him from dumping the former ruling party and joining the PF on which he stood and won as Kabushi member of parliament before being appointed Copperbelt minister.