In this audio, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu tells off the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) to form a political party and stop hiding behind the curtain of a legal association.
LAZ president Linda Kasonde yesterday wondered whether the circumstances that led to President Lungu declaring a Threatened State of Emergency could be justified, and further said neither the Head of State nor National Assembly had the powers to extend the declaration beyond the already approved three months.
She added that LAZ will consider taking action if any set regulations under the Threatened State of Emergency will not in conformity with the Constitution.
“President Lungu had the legal discretion to invoke Article 31. However, the question as to whether the circumstances cited for invoking Article 31 were justified can only be conclusively determined by a court of law. The government does not have full emergency powers under a Threatened State of Emergency. Any powers exercised must be used in accordance with the Constitution and in particular in accordance with the Bill of Rights,” said Kasonde
But speaking at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport before departure for Swaziland this morning, President Lungu took great exception to the questions raised by LAZ, and challenged the association which he is also a member of, to form a political party.
“Where are the lawyers in this country?” asked President Lungu who was in the company of Press aide Amos Chanda.
“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.”
He said he was ready to face LAZ if the Association wanted to challenge him.
“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!,” said President Lungu.
Take a listen:
