By Mubanga Mubanga
Patriotic Front (PF) faction vice-president Given Lubinda says former president Edgar Lungu will be the Tonse Alliance presidential candidate for the 2026 general elections, whether President Hakainde Hichilema likes it or not.
And Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) leader and Tonse Alliance spokesperson Sean Tembo said Zambia’s new currency could not have only animals as if Zambia was a game park.
Speaking during a press briefing at Crest Lodge in Lusaka yesterday, Lubinda said as far as the alliance was concerned it had chosen Lungu as its presidential candidate for 2026, and that President Hichilema was not going to do anything about it.
“In conclusion, I want to emphasise for the sake of those who are still doubting, I want to emphasise that the plan B that was announced by the Patriotic Front, and by president Edgar Changwa Lungu is the plan B for Tonse,” Lubinda said.
“And make no mistake, no one person, no grouping of individuals shall determine for us in Tonse who our presidential candidate is for 2026. We shall determine that ourselves, and we already determined it, and our candidate for 2026, whether Hakainde likes it or not, is one Edgar Changwa Lungu.”
Lubinda further said the Tonse Alliance win in the Petauke-Central by-election, had nothing to do with the professionalism of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) but that the victory was because the youths were very alert and ensured that the votes were protected.
He alleged that ECZ wanted to rig the election for the UPND, and that was the reason they delayed to announce the results even after collecting all the votes in the polling stations.
And Lubinda demanded that President Hichilema removes ECZ chairperson Mwangala Zalomis and Commissioner McDonald Chipenzi from their positions.
“We cannot continue to have an ECZ which is manned and led by known party card carrying members of the UPND to superintend over national elections,” Lubinda said.
At the same briefing, Tembo said key features like the freedom statue were not included on the new currency.
He wondered why the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) chose to put animals on the new currency while neglecting to put key national features like the freedom statue, as if the country was a game park.
“So how can the freedom statue be removed from the currency without consulting us, the owners of this nation, the citizens? So that is our number one objection, the issue of the design of the proposed new currency,” said Tembo. “There were no consultations, also how can we have a currency where the only key features are animals, as if Zambia is a national park? Zambia is made up of people and some of our citizens are notable citizens, some of them have been presidents, some of them have been freedom fighters, and so on and so forth.”
Picture by Mubanga Chileshe, Daily Revelation Newspaper
