 My colleagues from the media, through you, allow me the opportunity to share my current thoughts with fellow Zambians on the current government situation in the country. But before I proceed further, I know a lot of things are happening and I wish to express my anxiety over what has been reported to be a tragedy in Tsingola. You may have heard that. We don't have the facts yet. I don't know whether it's Kevin or some people may have lost lives. And I think my heart and those of our hearts here who have heard of this tragedy without getting all the details know that it's a tragedy and our hearts go out to the families of those who may have lost lives. But we'll get the details as we go on. You may recall that on Saturday 28 October 2023, as we gathered to remember and celebrate the life of Zambia's fifth president, Mr. Michael Tsirufia Sata, our founding president of the patriotic front, I announced my return to active politics. I did this with a very heavy heart because it was never my intention to return to active politics after leaving state house in August 2021. I also prayerfully and solemnly chose to make this announcement on that day when we commemorated president Sata's death for the ninth time as a way to commit to my strong desire and determination to ensure that the PF outlives Mr. Sata and indeed all of us. This was from the backdrop of the machinations by those in government to systematically still kill and destroy the PF in order to secure their continued stay in power. These machinations became more manifest a few days leading to October 28 when we saw those in power desperately and aggressively attempting to stage a coup in PF using their studios. This was in a sacred day of independence, October 24, when the state superintendent over not only an illegitimate gathering but also an illegal one and this action alone threatened peace and stability of both the party and the nation at large. This illegality has been endorsed by the police against their lawful mandate of keeping law and order followed by the hopeless attempts by the National Assembly to give effect to the illegality. The assault on our democracy is becoming much more vivid when the victim who in this case is the patriotic front party is being treated as a villain and the state sponsored sect is being accorded the protection of the law which ordinarily is only due to the victim. Unfortunately for those in power it is not possible to subvert the collective wisdom and desire and will of the people in an attempt to choke our democracy using imingalato. Colleagues from the media, this is the brief background which forced me out of my political retirement. As I announced my political comeback I said that this year's memorial for President Satter had been preceded by ugly sins calculated to kill democracy by killing the PF. In this regard I made the clarion call to all opposition political party leaders to join hands with us in PF in defense of Zambia's had ended democracy. I called for unity of peoples. I am delighted to report today that I am exceedingly humbled by the unanimous positive response from my brothers and sisters in the opposition to my call. This is how it should be and I am confident that working together we shall conquer and overcome in defense of the constitution and democracy. Victory is certain, we shall definitely defeat those who are scheming against our democracy because power rests with the people. And the people will fight and the people will win. The people will defend their democracy. I said it in October on the 28th and I am saying it again today. This is not about one Edgar Tagualung. I am doing this in defense of democracy and our democracy is multi-party democracy. A democracy where the opposition and civil society can freely associate and express themselves. A democracy where anyone among the opposition leaders can become president and certainly will become president in 2026. In this resolve we are encouraged and motivated by our exemplary forefathers who sacrificed their all as they fought precisely about 1745 long after waking hours we are told. And in defiance of the court process this government, the U.P. and the government changed the names of the legitimate PF office bearers and replaced them with the legitimate list of their students. What a shame. I am aware that our party members and supporters across the country and beyond are concerned and worried at this development. I want therefore to urge you all, our members and indeed the nation at large to remain calm but steadfast and vigilant as we navigate the troubled waters. Victory is certain. We shall fight this battle using all the available means, legal, political and civil options. I must emphasize that we shall fight this battle using all the available means, legal, political and civil. Beyond that I don't know. Because if you can't fight using legal means, you can't fight using political means, you can't fight civil options. Because they can't allow it. Then God help us. I came back to active politics specifically to save the patriotic front from being stolen or killed by the government in power. So on that one count me in. Together we shall fight and protect the patriotic front from being killed or stolen. I said it before that as I return to active politics I am ready. I must emphasize I am ready for anything including risking my own life at the hands of these desperate people who are now aware that they have lost completely lost public support and confidence due to their many unfulfilled promises. I am also aware that the next move is to lift my immunity from prosecution. These two does not worry me because I know that it's another of their ploy to divert the public attention from their failures and the ever rising cost of living amongst our people. So I am ready. Even if they manipulate parliament and get the numbers that they require to remove my immunity, I am ready. I said it after having lost power that why are they wasting time? If it's middle wing for the children of my wife or any of my associates, they just come for me straight. But two years and some months down the line they have not come through. But I know they are still working on it. But when it comes don't be shaken, don't be worried, I am ready. Very be known that this administration's plan is to kill Zambia's had-end multi-party democracy and install a one-party dictatorship. And this is real. So what you are seeing in terms of Mingalato will not end with the PA for tow. No one will be spared and no one out there should be cheated that they will be spared. It has been so with the Harry Carver's Democratic Party. They have since followed him to the citizens' first party. In Savoy-Imoela's National Democratic Congress in D.C., State Sponsored Structures are frantically trying to raise some power from her. Who knows this? No wonder they can proudly declare that they will remain in office for over 50 years because there will be no democracy to check them and stop their excesses. But we are not going to allow that. They have continued with a business arrest and a deduction of those in opposition. Leaders are often detained in secret locations for longer periods than the law provides. This is despite the president assuring the nation that no one will be locked beyond a certain period. I don't know whether they have released the Thomas. This is happening. They keep making assurances and they act the contrary. So these are people, if they say yes, take it that they mean no. If they say no, take it that they mean yes. If you want to advise them and you want them to go north, tell them to go south and they will go north. They act almost all the time contrary to what they tell the nation. Shon Tempo for example, leader of the Partials for Economic Progress has been law and lawfully detained and abducted several times. Several times. Harry Colaba was detained for merely eating shim at the market. And today someone will say P.F. was waste, was like hell. I don't know. Boma Lusambo was recently arrested because the people who have him thrown him when he was passing through Khaowen stopped over to buy a meat pie. It was a pie meat. I knew it as a pie meat. It was an offence for him to simply meet, stop over and greet people who wanted to chat with him. How ridiculous is this rule of law? How ridiculous is the address that is coming from the leader of the U.P.M.D. when he says I believe in rule of law? Other opposition leaders, Shalaka Teka, Kasun Demwenda were detained for exercising their freedoms of assembly and expression. Fred Mimbe cannot be left out of the list. He has been arrested several times when he films the charges. K.B.F., Mr. K.B.N. Fubebwally, has also been spared just like Savoy Imboy Lanshweef at the early. This goes on and on. As for the patriotic front, several of our members here and outside have been arrested several times. And only a few days ago, the party vice president M.D. Mimbe, Shalaka Teka, Kasun Demwenda, and the party spokesperson ambassador Emanu Mamba were arrested and detained in Kasun. As I speak today, unfortunately, all institutions of governance are heavily compromised. And I say so without fear or favor. All institutions of governance are heavily compromised. I don't want to talk about the police because you know they are compromised. I don't want to talk about the registrar of societies and the subjudice. They are compromised. I don't want to talk about the judiciary, the legislature. But you can name them. All of them are compromised. It's a question of degree, but they are compromised. And for the first time, for the first time, the three arms of government, the legislature, the judiciary and the executive are strangely enjoying a meeting of minds. Even in the face of mischief and illegality. One illegality coming from the executive will be supported by the judiciary and supported by the legislature. When in fact you expect through checks and balances that these will take each other and say excuse me, you've gone too far, you've gone overboard. But for the first time, the three arms of government are strangely enjoying a meeting of minds. And on areas of mischief, stealing, trying to go back like fearfully, openly starting with the intervenes there, a retreat, turning it into a convention. The next thing you hear is the police are there protecting the occasion. And the next thing you hear is the registrar. He's been compelled to change the list of members of the party. Before long the courts are telling you this is a matter which has been done and it's been done within the law. Even when you know that the law was breached. So I can confidently say that for the very, very first time the three arms of government are being mischievous. And now it's up to us to take note that this blood turned breach of the constitution and parliament concerns all of us and at the same time our judiciary is on trial to do justice and to be seen to be doing justice. Institutions that are charged with the responsibility to stop irregularities are the ones to the treaching such vices. And we are saying that we will use civil options legal options political options but if this continues God help Zambia. What a shame. A beginner in law will tell you what's happening. A beginner in administration law will tell you what's happening. A beginner in criminal law will tell you what's happening. A beginner in administration law will tell you what's happening. Because things are not what they are supposed to be in this land and we are all quiet. But I'm glad that some people are speaking like I've already told you earlier. It therefore becomes extremely difficult for one to remain silent. And I have said that I'm back but when you hear us talk we are talking about injustice in the manner that I've already told you. And I want to assure you that I will not remain silent. My colleagues here will not remain silent when injustice and the assault on democracy are being perpetrated by the many people who are supposed to fight within the law. Then we will fight it with what is available. What is available? There is a saying when you are pushed against the wall you fight back. And I want to say for Zambians as people who believe in democracy we are saying that enough is enough of this mischief. Stop it Mr. Hakka please. We know you are behind it. Live a democracy. A vash dictatorship. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that address. We are wondering about Kanwombe who will give a word of thanks to your speech or excellency in an anomoptical microphone for people from the international community. Kanwombe will give a word of thanks to the president's speech. He is also a member of the center committee and he is also our national youth chair person. You might have to give way for that camera. Thank you. Thank you. We have heard what the president has said. Your excellency your excellency we are very grateful for the message. Allow me to recognize the presence of the entire party leadership of the patriotic front the original patriotic front the only patriotic front. Yeah. Your excellency the words that you have spoken your excellency are the assuring words that the members of the patriotic front we are looking for. From all the 116 districts we are waiting for that voice of assurance. The voice that when we are called to battle your excellency we will stand with you. They call to battle that we will not allow the patriotic front to die. It's each party your excellency some of us it's the only political party and we have no intention of going to any other political party and because of that resolution your excellency and I am very certain that those that are tuned in to this very very important press briefing all they wanted to hear is the voice of assurance the voice of assurance that you are with us as we fight to retain the status of the patriotic front we will take an amulanda issue anymore I don't therefore echo the word that if justice cannot be provided by the courts of law we will give ourselves justice I want to repeat our justice if they don't allow justice to prevail we will give ourselves justice we will give ourselves justice we will give ourselves justice because I am aware that there are those who think that we cannot decide to protect our destiny as a country democracy is what we chose in 1991 we have chosen to to protect our destiny as a country and we will give ourselves justice how can the upnd begin electing leaders for ourselves we are patriotic front at 60 of the republican constitution is very clear that it is the members of that political party who should decide who should be their leader why should the upnd be electing leaders for the patriotic front we will not allow it and I want to say it again if the courts of law do not give us justice we will give ourselves justice your excellence and I want to appeal to the members of the patriotic front wherever you are as a member of the patriotic front we will fight for our democracy we will not allow democracy to die simply because the upnd has underperformed we will not allow democracy to die we will not allow democracy to die we will not allow democracy to die your excellence that is why the upnd is panicking that is why the upnd is panicking because the people have said they want the patriotic front we suddenly have so exyoulence we are grateful for your word May God bless Zambia. May God bless our democracy. Thank you very much.