By MAIMBO MWEEMBA
The ruling UPND, says that members of the party members must be guided that there is a difference between President Hakainde Hichilema as Republic President and Hichilema as party president.
UPND alliance General Secretary Batuke Imenda says no party official has the right to speak on behalf Mr Hichilema as President of the Republic of Zambia.
Mr Imenda said the statement attributed to President Hichilema has the right to stay in place he believes is safe is a party position and not state house position.
“Our view is that, in the absence of any appointed State House spokesperson or any appointed legal person for state house, only the Secretary to the Cabinet has the right to comment on state house related matters and the President, I wish to put it on record that my statement regarding President Hichilema’s residence was picked out of context,” he said.
Mr Imenda also clarified that President Hichilema is free to choose his own ADCs as a general practice adding that former Presidents equally did the same.
“Our view is that state house reserves the right to ascertain whether President Hakainde Hichilema should occupy Nkwazi House at state house or not; this is not a UPND mandate; Mr Hichilema is now President of the Republic of Zambia, as such, any statement from my office represents the position of the party and not state house,” he said.
Mr Imenda reiterated that no party official or party appointed person has the right to represent state house in any capacity
Mr Imenda said that with regards to all UPND related matters, the party has a spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa, including other party constitutional office bearers mandated to speak on behalf of the party.
“We advise media houses to realize that our party officials are a wrong source to comment on state house unless they want to get the party view and as such my view represents the party view and not the President of the Republic of Zambia’s office, and my office has an open door policy to all media houses for all clarification,’ he said.
