All People’s Congress (APC) president Nason Msoni says Zambia requires a quick regime change to help restore the dignity and credibility that the country has lost at the hands of the Patriotic Front government.

Last week, Finland’s public broadcaster issued a statement that the Finish government would be cutting off its financial aid to Zambia by the year 2023, citing a toxic political atmosphere in Zambia.

Finland’s aid to Zambia has been dropping steadily in the last five years.

In 2013, Zambia received more than 30 million euros, but the funding given to Zambia has declined dramatically since then, with Finland having allocated just 4.3 million euros in bilateral aid for Zambia last year.

This year, the amount was projected to drop even further to 3.5 million euros, and in 2020, it is estimated to reduce to two million euros until funding eventually completely dries up by 2023.

Reacting to the announcement, Msoni regretted the development in an interview News Diggers!, saying Zambia had lost credibility in the eyes of donors and hoped that once the “trouble makers” in PF had been indicted, that could provide a key regime change.

He observed that the country had continued to lose financial aid from its traditional donors because of the PF government’s reckless expenditure.

“Indeed, this country has witnessed a steady reduction in donor support, particularly the Nordic countries, although the Zambian government thinks otherwise. In a statement the other day, the Zambian government said it was because of the improved outlook of the economy. But we think that government is being disingenuous by asserting that it’s because of an improvement in the economy or that the reduction has everything to do with it’s improved structured economy. The truth is that we have lost credibility in the eyes of creditor nations, those nations that give us bilateral assistance, for the reason that this government has now become known in the world to be the most irresponsible, reckless government in which corruption has been institutionalised and literally legalised! Corrupt elements and thieves are being kept in the government at the pleasure of the President! All these things are being seen by their representatives in Zambia and report back to their respective governments,” Msoni said.

“It’s quite laughable to imagine that any sober and serious Head of State would want to procure a Presidential Executive Jet with [anti]missile [system] on-board, what are those for? Really, you would question the judgement of the man; whether he still enjoys the mental capacity to continue in the Office of the President. But looking at this, we have reason to doubt whether he still enjoys sound mind in his judgement. Such reckless procurement at the expense of so many overwhelming needs? This country needs to move towards legitimate regime change at the earliest opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Msoni reprimanded State House Spokesperson Amos Chanda for persistently attacking opposition leaders and wondered why the President had still not fired him.

“Keeping such a person in the highest office of the land rather serves only to bring down that office for which he is designated to operate from. The Office of the President is supposed to be a dignified office, where even those that occupy it should have some form of dignity. But the vitriolic attacks coming from office only serve to bring it down. But the trouble is that the President in this country is a ‘do-nothing President’ who relies on young people who are employed in that office to work for him. I don’t know what he does. I don’t know whether he reads these things that his assistants in office channel out. It’s striking that such a rotten mouth [as Amos Chanda’s] can continue to serve in a public office funded by tax payers! So, all these things in totality have contributed to tarnishing the image of this country. It’s most unfortunate and I can only predict a terrible downfall. We are disgusted by insults coming from the highest office! All these things speak to moral bankruptcy the entire clique in State House! You can’t have a State House where everybody is a millionaire, that’s where this arrogance is coming from,” charged Msoni.