KABWATA PF member of parliament Given Lubinda says he is a veteran politician who cannot be shaken by those aspiring to unseat him this year.

In an interview, Monday, Lubinda said he was quiet about the hype which some aspirants were causing because he was allowing “new comers to dance around”.

“There has been competition several times [in my constituency]. I have faced competition several times. So, I cannot be shaken by competition now. That is the trouble with you journalists, especially at Diggers. Why are you making that supposition? Now you are telling me that you actually had a story in mind hoping I would say I was not going to stand. The reason why I’m not responding [to those aspiring for the Kabwata seat] is because that has been my habit. I have never responded to such things. Anyone who has been a journalist long enough will know that it is not Lubinda’s style to cry wolf, wolf, over just a small little matter. I don’t cry wolf over matters like this. So, my silence is because I am a senior politician. Can you imagine if me a parliamentarian say eeh, you people are coming to my constituency, what will this country become? I’m not a kid. And you guys at Diggers must know that this man is a veteran politician and he is quiet because he is allowing the new comers to dance around,” Lubinda said.

Lubinda said competition was healthy for any democracy.

“…That is what you should be saying yourselves. Now you are hoping I would say I’m not even standing. When I make a decision, I will let you know. Now I have not even made a decision because I’m watching the landscape. What you must also understand is that I am a member of the central committee of the Patriotic Front, a senior one for that matter. A very senior member of the Patriotic Front Executive Committee, not just the central committee. Now, if me a member of the executive committee, I’m the first one to say don’t come into my constituency, what am I doing for democracy? I’m a democrat, I allow people to exercise their rights to be heard and people are free let them go to Kabwata or anywhere in the country to say they are very popular and so on and so forth, I will not stop them,” said Lubinda, who is also Justice Minister.

“As a senior member of the party I will not stop them. Can you imagine if I were to say this is not fair, then who is ever going to contest? Meaning that we the senior members are the ones who should contest then the others must cross their fingers, no! I will allow people to exercise their rights to be heard plus the process of adoption has not even started. For me I am not going to be adopted by branches, I am not going to be adopted by the masses, I am going to be adopted by the structures of the party. Do you think I should also go round and say this is what I can do, for goodness sake! Who doesn’t know what I am capable of doing? So, when the time is right, I shall state my position. And when I state my position, I am sure that you know the results. When I state my position, you will know what will happen.”