Lungu tells lawyers to form political party
Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday challenged a body representing lawyers to form a political party and face him in the political arena instead of hiding behind the professional body.
Lungu accused the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) of abusing the noble profession by politicking on any issue in the country.
This comes in the wake of the association's comments on Lungu's decision to invoke Article 31 of the country's constitution which has resulted in the declaration of a threatened state of public emergency.
The invocation follows a spate of damages to public properties, including the setting on fire of markets, with the latest being a famed market in Lusaka, the country's capital.
On Monday, the lawyers' body questioned the circumstances under which the invocation was made and wondered why the declaration was made before investigations were concluded to establish the truth behind the damage to the public properties.
Lungu said he was concerned with the politicking going on at the association and challenged some lawyers in the association to form a political party and face him head-on.
The Zambian leader said it was unacceptable for the association to be playing politics especially at a time when citizens were looking to it to interpret the law properly.
“Let them form a political party; let them go ahead. Let them not abuse the profession because what they are doing is politics,” he told reporters before departure for Swaziland where he has gone for a two-day state visit.
“To abuse the law, the legal profession I belong to is totally unacceptable. It is a very noble profession,” he added.
The association has come under increased attacks from both government and ruling party officials.
In May this year, youths from the ruling party stormed the association's headquarters in Lusaka, demanding the resignation of its president Linda Kasonde, after accusing her of supporting the main opposition party.
During an extraordinary general meeting held in April, some lawyers aligned to the ruling party attempted to impeach the executive body of the association but the bid failed after the majority of the lawyers rejected it while some called for the splitting of the association.
NAMPA/XINHUA
Lungu accused the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) of abusing the noble profession by politicking on any issue in the country.
This comes in the wake of the association's comments on Lungu's decision to invoke Article 31 of the country's constitution which has resulted in the declaration of a threatened state of public emergency.
The invocation follows a spate of damages to public properties, including the setting on fire of markets, with the latest being a famed market in Lusaka, the country's capital.
On Monday, the lawyers' body questioned the circumstances under which the invocation was made and wondered why the declaration was made before investigations were concluded to establish the truth behind the damage to the public properties.
Lungu said he was concerned with the politicking going on at the association and challenged some lawyers in the association to form a political party and face him head-on.
The Zambian leader said it was unacceptable for the association to be playing politics especially at a time when citizens were looking to it to interpret the law properly.
“Let them form a political party; let them go ahead. Let them not abuse the profession because what they are doing is politics,” he told reporters before departure for Swaziland where he has gone for a two-day state visit.
“To abuse the law, the legal profession I belong to is totally unacceptable. It is a very noble profession,” he added.
The association has come under increased attacks from both government and ruling party officials.
In May this year, youths from the ruling party stormed the association's headquarters in Lusaka, demanding the resignation of its president Linda Kasonde, after accusing her of supporting the main opposition party.
During an extraordinary general meeting held in April, some lawyers aligned to the ruling party attempted to impeach the executive body of the association but the bid failed after the majority of the lawyers rejected it while some called for the splitting of the association.
NAMPA/XINHUA
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