Non-Governmental Organization Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Chairperson Serah Longwe says it wrong for President Edgar Lungu attack the Law Association of Zambia when the association offers legal guidance.

In an interview with News Diggers! Longwe observed that it was the mandate of LAZ to interpret the law and guide the nation on Constitutional matters.

“It doesn’t come as a surprise that the government is attacking LAZ, but are there any justified reasons [for declaring the Threatened State of Emergency]? The reasons that were given when we analyze them, its clear that it was too soon. The Law Association has said so. Am not a lawyer but I know that the Law Association have the country at heart and that is their duty to explain to the government and us the ordinary people what the law says. So I give the Law Association the benefit of doubt than government,” Longwe said.

Longwe also said it was the duty of the citizens to challenge leaders in government if they do things wrongly.

“Its the duty of us citizens to challenge what our leaders do, if we think its wrong, we challenge them, if we think its good we commend them. Am not surprised if they are challenging it because someone has said it that its too soon, they did it too soon and from the way they did it, I think I agree with the Law Association that its too soon,” said Longwe.

Before leaving for Swaziland on Tuesday, President Lungu challenged the Law Association of Zambia to form a political party other than abusing the legal profession to play politics.

“If the lawyers want to form a political party, let them go ahead and form a political party,” he continued “Let them not abuse the profession; because what they are saying is politics, you can see it’s politics. For me I challenge them to form a political party, but let them not abuse the profession, said President Lungu.

“If they want to take me on on that one, they can take me on, we will meet them; but the truth is that there is too much politics in the Law Association of Zambia. So let them form a political party, but to abuse the law, the legal profession I belong to is totally unacceptable. Bye bye!”