LAZ president Linda Kasonde says the association has come out stronger after her executive survived an impeachment motion and went on to host a peaceful Annual General Meeting.

And Kasonde says the Association’s Facebook page has never broadcast a UPND political event, as recently alleged by PF lawyer Kelvin Bwalya Fube.

Responding to a press query, Kasonde said members of the association who wanted to impeach her realised that it was divisive move.

“Deliberations at the Extraordinary General Meeting went very well. Our members were allowed to express themselves freely on the issue and ultimately the movers of the motion decided to withdraw it. I think we are stronger and more unified as a result,” Kasonde said.

“I think as the EGM showed, no one single member can drive an agenda in the Association. We are a democratic institution and we rely on the collective wisdom of all our members.”

Asked if it was true that the association’s Facebook page once broadcast a UPND political event live, Kasonde said the opposite was true.

“This is not true. LAZ held a press conference on the issue of the threatening statements made against the judiciary by Mr. Amos Chanda at the LAZ Secretariat. Unknown to us one of the attendees, who purported to be a journalist, was live streaming the event onto Mr. [Hakainde] Hichilema’s Facebook page using a phone. Mr. Hichilema himself was not there. As far as I know, the LAZ Facebook page has never been used to livestream anything,” she said.

Kasonde said she had a lot of respect for members of the judiciary and senior members of the association.

“I have a lot of respect for the judiciary and senior members of the profession. LAZ has come to the defence of the judiciary several time since this Council took office,” Kasonde said.

She downplayed threats from KBF that Parliament would dissolve LAZ under her administration.

“I think that both the EGM and the AGM have reaffirmed that the membership has confidence in the Council and also reaffirmed that the Association is stronger in unity. We have reconfirmed our mandate towards promoting and protecting the development of the law, the rule of law, constitutionalism, good governance and social justice for the benefit of all Zambians and we will continue that mandate for many years to come,” said Kasonde.