PF media director Sunday Chanda has appealed to UPND members of parliament to choose Zambia over their party leader Hakainde Hichilema by supporting the Constitution amendment process earmarked for presentation to Parliament this session.

On Monday, Hichilema instructed his members of parliament to shoot down the motion to amend the Constitution by Justice Minister Given Lubinda saying the process could not go on before dialogue.

But in a statement, Chanda advised the UPND members of parliament to “choose right” by representing the interests of Zambians, which is what they were elected to for.

“We want to ask the UPND members of parliament to choose Zambia over Mr Hakainde Hichilema. We are asking the UPND members of parliament to choose the country over Mr Hakainde Hichilema. We are asking very simple questions to the UPND members of parliament, who will you serve between HH and mother Zambia? If it seems right for you to choose HH above Zambia, do it. But posterity will judge you harshly. On Sunday, we learnt that Mr Hakainde Hichilema had asked Maj Kachingwe to choose him over his son’s life and yesterday (Monday) HH was telling UPND members of parliament to choose him over national interest. In 2011, HH directed his members of parliament to vote against the Constitution Amendment Bill of that time because he wanted MMD to lose power so that he become President. He never became President, he has not become President, he has continued losing elections since and we can confidently say that it is by God’s providence that Mr Hakainde Hichilema is not President of Zambia,” Chanda stated.

Chanda stated that Hichilema always campaigned against progressive bills meant to improve the lives of Zambians.

“In 2016, Mr Hakainde Hichilema campaigned against the Bill of Rights, denying Zambians far and better rights and today the UPND and Mr Hakainde Hichilema cry the loudest about better rights. Members of parliament have a solemn duty to make laws. They are elected to office to make laws; they are paid allowances to make laws; they receive their gratuities for making laws. And the only body, the only institution created to make laws in this country is Parliament not Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s version of dialogue,” Chanda stated.

“The members of parliament must not abdicate their role of making laws to any other body, grouping or assembly. We are calling on UPND members of parliament to do what is best for Zambia. Choose Zambia, choose national interest over Hakainde Hichilema’s greed. We are calling on other stakeholders and members of the general public to take particular interest in this particular process and make progressive recommendations for a better constitution. We are calling on the ordinary Zambians to remind UPND members of parliament that they were elected to parliament in order for them to represent and not misrepresent the people. They were elected to make laws. Let them debate and come up with progressive amendments, that’s what progressive opposition political parties do.”

Chanda stated that whilst PF was ready to go to the 2021 elections under the current constitution, Hichilema would cry the loudest if the constitution was not amended.

“For Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s comfort, we want to assure him that the Patriotic Front remains ready to go into the 2021 elections under the current constitution and we know who is going to cry the loudest, it will still be Mr Hakainde Hichilema. But we are saying, for the sake of Zambia and for the sake of this country’s posterity, we must be a country that continues to improve on our laws and the Patriotic Front under the leadership of President Lungu has demonstrated great political will in that regard,” stated Chanda.