DEMOCRATIC Party leader Harry Kalaba says the ruling Patriotic Front should start looking for another candidate other than President Edgar Lungu to run in this year’s election.

And Kalaba says President Lungu should be the first one to be administered with the Covid-19 vaccine.

Speaking when he featured on a South Power radio program in Mazabuka, Saturday, Kalaba said whether President Lungu stood or not, he would lose the elections.

“As for President Edgar Lungu standing, don’t worry about it, that should be a problem. That one we will take care of it on August 12 and we will not tell President Lungu what we are doing behind the scenes. If he wants, let him stand, let PF plot him then they will see. But if I was PF, I would begin asking Chitalu Chilufya, Jean Kapata, Nkandu Luo, (Ronald) Chitotela to see if they are willing to take over as President, without that, there is nothing happening for the PF. What I know is that whether President Lungu stands or not, he will lose the elections this year,” Kalaba said.

And Kalaba said President Lungu should be the first one to take the Covid-19 vaccine to show everyone that it’s safe.

“There is a lot of talk about this vaccine. Mine is just to encourage the government to be very practical when the vaccine arrives because I read somewhere that the African Union has input about 270 million doses of the same vaccine. I think they should be subjected to our medical facilities. We need to see that they are really in conformity with our standards here before they can be administered and my take is that the President must be the first one to take the dose to show everyone that the dose is secure followed by that woman who is the Vice-President of his, Madam Inonge Wina and then let Chitotela and other people who are calling themselves Edify Hamukale get the doses and when they get, Zambians can now know that thing is secure. But we need to be certified by our local authorities here and the government must do investigations and they should not be dismissive of what people are saying because we don’t know the efficacy of that medicine, we don’t know how long it will stay in the body,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kalaba said the Religious Affairs Ministry would be abolished when he became president.

“Zambia will be a Christian nation, this is a covenant nation, this is a nation that has been dedicated to the lord and it will go back to the Lord once I become President. In fact, my take is that we will open up a retreat centre in Mkushi where pastors every year at the beginning of a year like this, they will be meeting the President like me. We will sit down, praying together, going through the problems as a country. And that Ministry of Religious Affairs we are going to chase it away, we will abolish it. That Ministry is not there to tell who is a fake prophet and who is a real prophet, that is what they are doing there. Is that their job? When I come into power, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, excuse me it is going,” Kalaba said.

Kalaba dismissed assertions that this year’s election was between PF and UPND, saying he was confident he would win.

“That’s a lie, I have travelled this country, don’t be cheated that the race is between two people. That same PF, who is mentioning it? It is just you here. Where is the stronghold of PF? That other party I will not say much but time will tell. I can only tell you that the only person who is going to win this election, is the person talking here because most of the youths are unemployed. Most of the youths have been neglected by those two parties you want to support. The problem is that you want to support a party and yet even if they won the election, they will not even know you, they won’t remember you, they are busy with their own agenda, you will not be part of that agenda. Stop escorting politicians to luxury, when they are drinking wine, you are clapping,” said Kalaba.