By Staff Reporter
Lupososhi member of parliament (PF) Emmanuel Mpankata has urged party members to turn up in huge numbers to offer solidarity to former first lady Esther Lungu when she will appear before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC).
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Mpankata said “genuine members” should turn out during Esther’s appearance.
“We expect genuine members of the party, of the PF to turn out in huge numbers to offer solidarity. All well meaning PF members should turn out in solidarity to show support to the former First Lady because this is political persecution. And if we can’t get United now, they will continue persecuting us,” Mpankata, who is also PF deputy chairperson, said.
He said “the numbers should not stop” arguing that PF still has a large following with 60 members of parliament.
“And our political support base is still intact. And this is what they are trying to destroy. Instead of fixing the economy, they are trying to fix PF politically,” Mpankata said.
He described the fight against corruption as political, which he said was aimed at finishing the PF, PF legacy and Edgar Lungu’s legacy, by labeling “all PF as thieves.”
He wondered how a first lady could fail to build (15) flats having been married to a man who ruled this country for seven years.
Mpankata said people should not be questioned on the property they accumulated just because they worked for the government before, saying there were so many businesses people do outside their normal government work.
On the holding of the PF general conference, Mpankata said that was still necessary but certain things must be out in place.
“There are so many things. You know there are so many factors. We still have our members who are still appearing before the Concourt. Our members have been taken to court for various offences, they have been alleged to have done. Vehicles from the PF have been grabbed. You know there are so many things. We need to stabilise the party politically before we go for the convention,” he said.
But others in PF have argued that the party will only be stabilised once they have a substantive president, however, Mpankata argued that a substantive leader must find a solid party in order not to have much work, with the focus being on moving the party forward.
“How do you take over a party with a shaky political base, or grass root base? We will first need to anchor ourselves politically using all our party structures, especially our grass root leadership because this is what holds the party together,” said Mpankata.
