Zambian president demands recognition to start dialogue

By Francis Maingaila

LUSAKA, Zambia

Zambia’s president Saturday demanded recognition that he won last year’s election and is the nation’s legitimate leader as preconditions for dialogue with the opposition.

Edgar Lungu told journalists in the capital Lusaka that he has no time to speak to people or institutions that refuse to acknowledge his election.

“If they can acknowledge that I won the Aug. 11 presidential elections, I am available for dialogue, otherwise they can forget it,” he said.

Lungu was reacting to calls by three major church bodies -- the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, Council of Churches in Zambia, and Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia -- asking him to immediately call for dialogue to resolve the standoff between his government and the opposition following the disputed election.

Almost half the country does not acknowledge that Lungu won that election.

Last week, Home Affairs Minister Steven Kampyongo banned political activities for the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) after accusing the party of inciting people to reject Lungu as the nation’s president.