By Merlyn Mwanza
UPND’s Major Ben Phiri says the PF can’t sneak in a merit deficient request to see Vice President Harris as though they are asking for an impromptu discussion with a rural town council vice chairperson in the vicinity of the almost defunct PF secretariat.
The PF has written the minister of Foreign Affairs requesting a meeting with Harris as the country’s largest opposition party and former ruling party, in order to raise pertinent issues affecting Zambia in order for her to have a balanced view of the state of the country’s democracy, rule of law and position on matters of human rights, values and culture.
The PF, through acting secretary general Nickson Chilangwa, also requested the Ministry to furnish them with detailed programme of Harris to be able to meaningfully follow her programme in the country.
But Maj Phiri, who operates in the UPND secretary general’s office, argued that “the desperation for political visibility that the fallen PF party continues to exhibit, has taken on a very worrisome trajectory.”
“This regrettable trend has taken the shape of all manner of miscreant imbued political sabre rattling, requests for a meeting with the visiting dignitary etc. PF must understand or at least ought to know that the United States Vice President Kamara Harris is a guest of the Government of the Republic of Zambia whose presence in Africa in general and Zambia in particular, was preceded by a well thought through planning phase involving our Foreign Affairs ministry, State House, the State Department in Washington DC, the American embassy in Lusaka, the secret service and various defence and security organs both here and the ‘sending State’,” Maj Phiri stated. “Vice President Harris’s engagements are to all practical intents and purposes, cast in iron to the extent that even minor variations in the choreographed program, can not be easily accommodated on account of the multiple security implications entailed.”
He stated that it was laughable that PF is entertaining the obviously unworkable thought that they can secure an appointment at “gunpoint”to meet the VVIP State guest?
“No, no. A thousand times no. The PF should realise that they can’t sneak in a merit deficient request to see Vice President Harris as though they are asking for an impromptu discussion with a rural town council vice chairperson in the vicinity of the almost defunct PF secretariat,” stated Maj Phiri. “It must be borne in mind that all visits undertaken by VVIP’s to Zambia are premised on existing diplomatic guidelines that uphold the highest levels of decorum surrounding people of Vice President Harris’s lofty political stature and can never be altered at the behest of the disgraced entity like the PF.”
