 Let me recognize the leader of opposition and our honorable colleagues, apart from those of us who are here, who have joined us during this press briefing. Yes, indeed, we usually call for press briefings on Fridays, but it was realized that some of these issues might cannot wait for Friday. They needed prompt reaction from us, who are people's representatives. And so we can already appreciate you, Madam Moderator, for making this a successful one. Mine is to just supplement what my colleague talked about, the cost of briefing. But before I do, I just want to echo the views of one Honourable Kafuaia who has spoken about the appointment of the Auditor General. The role of Parliament in scrutinizing appointments that are subject to parliamentary ratification is not to rubber stamp, it's not a mere exercise of rubber stamping those appointments. In scrutinizing appointments, Parliament ensures that those appointments are legitimate, constitutional and befitting. So we wouldn't want the appointing authority to wait until Parliament reacts to that appointment, but they can make a remedy. And I'm urging the President to take a rift of what one President, Michael Tsufasa, did. Apart from those appointments that my colleague has talked about, here between 2011 and 2014, President Michael Satame, he saw rest in peace, appointed one eminent citizen, one female eminent citizen, learned, experienced at the bench, and shared all the necessary qualifications to the position of Chief Justice. This is Madame Lombeche Vesakunda, who served for a long time as deputy and acting Chief Justice. Her appointment could not succeed on account of age, here at Parliament. That appointment came to Parliament and it could not be ratified and processed by Parliament on account of age. And this is a scenario which we are dealing with now. The nominee who has been appointed to save as Auditor General does not qualify under the Constitution on account of age. So what we are asking for is not anything unusual, it's something that has happened. And so we are just requesting the President to remit the situation by making a suitable appointment. Yes, we have heard him complain about processes of government. Those processes are there for a purpose. The laws that we have are there for a purpose. People go get jailed for breaching the law. If indeed people were caught breaching the law and saved the sentences, why should then the appointed authority think that they can make appointments outside the law? It doesn't work that way. So that's it. We have had an example, Madame Lombeche Vesakunda judge of many years and who served as acting Chief Justice was to be appointed as Chief Justice substantively. But it couldn't be ratified here on account of age. And this is what we are saying to this nominee who has been appointed to save as Auditor General. So it's not a question of debate. It's just that the appointment is illegitimate. Now colleagues, we heard the President talk about improving people's livelihoods. Now when you talk about people's livelihoods for the organized Zambian, livelihood simply just means people are able to eat either two meals or three meals a day, a life road. People are able to go to the clinic, get Kuroro Queen for malaria or any essential medicines that are required to keep people fit. But what is happening now is a challenge for many Zambians. And like you saw, some of our honorable members who demonstrated even in parliament that those things which we are saying in order to be going to be allowed like Pamela, you know, those little such heads of Mirimi, and we heard that someone brought an issue from the Kopa Bewa to where people are buying Mirimi only by, let by. That's not a livelihood worth talking about. Our people have been reduced to beggars. And I'm happy that the President went to see for himself. And the Vice President went to see for himself. For the Vice President, it was even interesting because there was a poor woman with a baby on the chest just crying for porridge for the child. But you saw how that poor woman was pushed by the security details so that the Vice President couldn't say, so if nothing is done, if nothing is done and done immediately, we are quoting a time bomb. Because lack of food security is lack of national security. Because an angry stomach is an angry mind, goes with an angry mind. So when people speak and the reactions they are getting is that no, it's not government is wrong to go and to go maize for people. Yes, indeed. But they should know. I don't know the Vice President has advised us to eat Roura Mew. Not even Roura Mew is affordable. But we cannot deal with this, with the rooming and the situation if the Minister of Agriculture does not do the right thing. Our farmers who grow food that we eat. Our villagers who we represent have not been getting farming inputs. The farming inputs they got last year were shared in medias. Therefore there is no maize. Right now Food Reserve Regents is running around with trunks of money looking for maize. Which maize is not there? The maize they inherited in all the storage sheds has been sold, has been exported, maize, exported to Congo and people are bragging we can't cross the borders. But what kind of parent would want to starve his or her own children and feed the next family? Is there sense in that? So every family would want to feed their own children first before you think of the next door. So what has happened is that our colleagues in government wanted to make money at the expense of their own citizens. It has come to want them. Because all the maize that they found has been sold before they know what it takes to produce that kind of maize. Now with the rooming prices of fuel going up, this coming weekend, our people should know that the prices of fuel products is likely going to go up by 25% even more. And that will trigger the prices of everything, including minimum. And all the best requirements that form the food basket will go up. How many, including you, the people from the media are going to be affording life? You only get increments, I don't know whether it's once in a year. But these prices are increasing every month. So how are you expecting to cope? So in Salah Isile, Isile won't say. And we don't see government providing solutions, apart from ramentations. For fuel, we told them. There's no way we can convert Tazama Pipeline to be carrying finished products. How many oil marketing companies are able to use Tazama Pipeline? So if someone is transporting diesel through Pipeline and someone is transporting by rorry, by trucks, is the cost of movement the same? The answer is no. So they've gotten it all wrong and they'll be no remit. Because these oil emissives are now struggling, are fighting, because it's expensive for those that are bringing finished products using the road. Then those who are getting the products, the diesel, because it's on diesel. The selected fuel. The selected fuel that are benefiting from the Tazama Pipeline transported diesel. Others are transporting by road. So how do you balance? How do you strike a balance? Yes, we avoid that one contract has been cancelled for a friend to the government. One grow or something. But it doesn't help because the solution should have been to recapitalize Indian and continue pumping crude. Then you can cushion the nation in the event that there are price shocks on the oil market. As it's going to be going in the future, we are going. So each Pante Pante Vare Tiana way, you are right by Avantu. You are right by Avantu. And you know, I told you that there is no food security and then you go to the hospital where there are no medical supplies. Some of the medicines, even when they are prescribing to you, we say now we're here. Have you eaten before we give you medicine? So we don't have to go to the hospital. They don't have to go to the hospital. So we have to go to the government. We'll take up the solution. Who doesn't care about people? They're busy talking about the sexes in GDP. People don't want that. We heard about graphs. Yes, people do deal with the graphs where you're sitting in the cabinet. But people need to eat. People need to go to hospitals and find just the best essential drugs. So we are waiting to see how our farmers who are supposed to feed the nation are going to be supported. Because most of them have been winded off the fiscal program without being prepared. So meaning, those farmers will be able to grow food for themselves and the surplus to sell. So hunger is not only going to be limited to the urban areas, but also extended to the villages. That's where we are. And there's no country that can survive without subsidizing the farming sector. Never. Now today they tell you we are changing Fisip. We are going to be cast. It's part of the West kind. And if people are being fired, they're being fired for being incompetent, then the president hasn't even started. Because most of the people that have failed Zambians are still in the jobs. If he did means firing people that are incompetent, he hasn't even started. Because the critical sectors that are drowning, that are affecting the people of Zambia, energy, agriculture, health, they need serious changes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Wip, for highlighting the hardships that our people are experiencing. But also the good examples that you gave as regards to eligibility when it comes to appointing of the auditor general. I now call upon the leader of the position to sum up the interaction for today. Thank you. Thank you very much, honorable leader of the director of ceremonies. I will start by acknowledging the presence of P.F. Wip in parliament. Members of the Central Committee, also members of parliament with us this morning. And other members of parliament who have joined today's media interaction. As my colleagues already stated, we thought it was very important to address the media this morning. Traditionally, we do our media interactions on Friday. But because of the agency of certain matters that we felt needed to be addressed, we called you today and wish to thank you and acknowledge you that you responded quickly and came to this media interaction. I will start by explaining our role, the function that we are undertaking this morning. And this is provided for in our constitution under article 2. And it reads, every person has the right and duty to defend the constitution and be resist or prevent a person from overthrowing, suspending or illegally abrogating this constitution. So what your members of parliament are doing this morning is to defend the constitution. What we are doing this morning is to prevent his excellency the president, President Dhaka and Hilema, from overthrowing, suspending or illegally abrogating this constitution. And specifically under article 252. So to start with, I know that you, the people from the media, understand that this constitution is our supreme law. And its role, one of its roles, its role is to discipline government. I want you to know that the constitution is there to discipline government. That is the reason why we as members of parliament, who swore to defend the constitution are very quick to act whenever we feel that a person, whether it's a president or any other person, is in the process of abrogating the constitution. So the duty we have today is to ensure that the president does not abrogate this constitution. So when we talk about disciplining governments, it's emphasized that the supreme, the supreme of the constitution and duty of all leaders is to uphold the national, the national fundamentals and values. If you hear from the discussions, basically we have two main subjects today. We are talking about the comment that came from the Chief Justice on LGBTQ rights. We are also talking about the appointment of the auditor general. So the role that we have as leaders, as political leaders, is to uphold our fundamental values and principles, which are enshrined in Article 8. And Article 9 of our constitution is very instructive, that when we are interpreting the constitution, we shall do so in line with Article 9. You are further reminded that the preamble in our constitution talks about our country being a Christian nation. So whenever interpreting constitutional provisions, they should be recourse to that preamble. They should be recourse to our national values and principles. So going forward, you find that the challenge most governments have, the challenge unjust and dishonest governments have, they have this unique ability to control constitutional controls and safeguards. The text is very clear in the constitution. As regards the age, somebody must, the constitution is very clear that above 60, one cannot be appointed the position of auditor general. But in this particular case, the president has gone ahead. But maybe let's invite you, let's be a bit adventurous. Let's speculate. Let's exercise the freedom to speculate. What could be the reason? What are some of the reasons why the president went to go that way? This particular office, this constitution office has a history. In the recent past, we know what has happened to the auditor general's office. Dixie Chamber has fallen victim. And Dixie Chamber was a victim because he was pursuing documents from the Ministry of Agriculture. He was pursuing documents from the Ministry of Tourism and other ministries where government has misconducted itself. And the SCC, they've involved themselves in corrupt activities. A government that boasts to be a very clean government and a government of angels. But now time for reckoning has come. What happened? Dixie Chamber is now on the street. And this attempt to appoint a person who does not qualify. If by some chance that appointment succeeded, would you think that auditor general would function professionally? Because he would have come to that office under some compromise. And that could be one motivating factor that this appointment, there is this attempt to make this appointment. The moment you undermine the constitutional safeguards and watchdogs, like the office of the auditor general, it means the country is in trouble. Remember that the greatness of the nation is judged from its fidelity to the constitution. So if we want Zambia to be great, we'll judge it from government's fidelity to the constitution. To what extent does government follow what is provided for under the constitution? I'm sure all of you saw this. That headline. It's very shocking. The president says he finds it very offensive when people treasure government processes more than the outcome. So the president is calling for compromises. The president does not like article 252. We want to remind the president it is the law as it is, not the law as it ought to be. That's positive law. It is the law as it is and not the law as it ought to be. There's a reason why the framers of the law, the authors of this constitution, found it prudent to make those provisions under article 252. But the president is saying he's not ready to follow the law. The president is irritated. He finds it offensive that there are so many processes. The president finds it offensive that there must be a professional auditor general who is going to ask questions to the permanent secretary sitting at the Ministry of Agriculture. He's going to ask questions to the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, asking them questions why they did not follow procedure when cancelling tenders. The president doesn't like that. The president says he's more interested in the outcome. The president wanted those licenses to be given to his friends. So when the auditor general says you are wrong, attorney general advises to say you cannot cancel those tenders. When there are audits to check on the procedures and whether the procedures are being followed, the president is upset. One big question that I want all of you to ask. Why are our courtrooms full of people who are alleged to have abused their officers? Why are the courtrooms full then? The same president is taking the people to court because they abused their office. An abuse of office could have been out of some abridged processes. People who had prisoned Akai and Hileman's mindset in carrying out government functions are in court today. But the president is up to today encouraging people to act outside the law. He says don't follow procedure, just focus on the outcome. If I want to give Isaac and Soneka a tender for fertilizer because he's my friend, then he should be asking whether he's competent, whether he's accounts. No, I want to give it to Isaac and Soneka because he's my friend. He was covering me when I was in opposition. Is that the government that we're going to run? Remember that this constitution exists to discipline dishonest and unjust governments. This constitution exists to discipline governments such as the UPND. The offers of this constitution descend that there will be people like President Akai and Hilem. So they put measures to control them so that they can act within the conference of the law. But the president is saying he finds it offensive. I want to remind the president that he swore to defend the constitution. He will not govern Zambia like his private business. He's got the leverage to go and run his private businesses the way he wishes. Because even in private business, as far as I'm concerned, as a seasoned businessman myself, we put controls even in our private businesses. So that there's order. But President Akai and Hilem will find it offensive that the government processes that government is meant to follow procedure. He's not interested in those procedures. But seated here with my colleagues, you are not surprised. Are you also not surprised that from the time the UPND came into power, their preferred mode of procurement is single sourcing. Everything is single sourced. And by allows the coincidence, this single sourcing always lands on his friends. Very lucky, isn't it? Most of this procurement somehow finds itself in the hands of his friends. So we have a president in state house who is not ready to follow the law. We have a president in state house who is not ready to follow procedure. That is the reason why for us as representatives, we will stand with the Zambian people to ensure that national resources are protected. To ensure that the law is followed, whether it's in appointments, whether it's in procurements, and to continue to provide those checks and balances. It's also sad that because of what President Akai and Hilem are saying in the paper today, we now confirm our earlier suspicions that most of government institutions have been compromised. They've been compromised, we want a compromised auditor general, who would want a compromised public accounts committee and many other committees. So that President Akai and Hilem's actions are not questioned. Very very sad indeed. So as pay article two of our constitution, we want to call upon each and every Zambian to stand up and defend this constitution. To defend the provisions of this constitution. Because if we don't, President Akai and Hilem is very clear on how you would want to run this government. You would want to wake up one morning and just make decrease. Whatever you decrease is what goes. That's not how governments are run. It's a very dangerous way to govern. And we want to make this call to President Akai and Hilem. He must understand that this constitution is supreme. Our constitution is supreme. It's above everyone including himself. It's not that we're asking for a favor for him to follow the constitution. He has no choice but to follow what is provided for under our constitution. So like my colleagues have said, the issue of LGBTQ is something that we've been romancing around. We are toying with every day. Countries such as Ghana, countries such as Uganda and other countries in the region are very decisive. They've come out very strongly. We've had very weak statements coming from government. For me and my colleagues sitting here, we don't take it to be a coincidence that now you have advancement, job opportunities. One of the qualifications or one of the conditions they're asking for is for you to disclose your sex orientation. Are you sure it's a coincidence that the Chief Justice said what he said? And what we see in the media going round is that people are now asking you your sex orientation. It's not a coincidence. He's trying to debunk the myth around LGBTQ in our culture. It won't be very long from now. There is some shrouded process attempting to amend the constitution through the back door. I'm very sure that one of the motivations is someone trying to sneak in. The issue of women and women, wake up. Something is happening. We have called upon the Minister of Justice, come to parliament and give us a roadmap for amending the constitution. He's not acting. We have called upon the Minister of Justice bring a bill to enact the process of enacting the constitution. The memories on the failed bill 10 are still fresh. The comments and statements that came from the UPND are very fresh. The UPND were very categorical. They were very clear that they were not participating in the constitutional amendment process under bill 10 because the consultation was not wide enough. So what we are saying to them is that for the next constitutional amendment process, we want the threshold for the consultative process to be higher than the one that was employed under bill 10. We had many processes of consultation before the national dialogue forum met to craft a bill that came to parliament. The UPND still felt that was not wide enough. So I want to encourage my brother, a fellow state council, to start a process, a long process of consultation. I'm speaking as an authority because I'm a constitutional lawyer to start by doing civic education, educate the citizens generally about the importance of the constitution and the basic structure of the constitution, what should be in the constitution. And then we begin consultation. We begin to garner consensus. And the consensus that will be demanded in this particular case, we will not be bipartisan consensus where two parties, UPND and PF meet and agree and to say we have consulted widely. No. It will not be an elite consensus where professors and a couple of doctors from universities sit in one conference hall and have coffee and they say they have consulted. No. What is required is general consensus. So what we demand is general consensus in this process. And that's the only time that the threshold that was demanded by the UPND will be achieved. So it's a call on the UPND and at the same time a warning that even during that constitutive process we will remain very alert. We are now very suspicious that there may be an attempt to sneak in a close in the constitutional amendment process to provide for LGBTQ who remain alert to ensure that should that come, we will quickly alert members of the public so that that particular close does not go. So it's a warning that with what is happening now, especially with the statements that is attributed to the Chief Justice, Zambians are now called upon to remain extra alert on the subject of LGBTQ. But at the same time, we want to call upon the government to emulate the government of Uganda, the government of Ghana. I think Kenya has done the same thing. There's some conversation going on right now in Zimbabwe and many other countries in the region. We are the only country that is kicking the can when it comes to LGBTQ. Like Comrade Sanga said, we will not sit back, you know, because we want some aid. We are not ready to compromise our values and principles in exchange for aid. President Edgar Chagolungu made it very clear. He says, leave us without poverty, we will keep our values and principles in poverty. We will not compromise just because we are hungry. And I think that is the mind of an average Zambian. So for those that are going out there to access aid and promising to introduce LGBTQ, I want to promise you that we have Zambians, including members of parliament, who are ready to take on that fight. I thought that was a very important, Comrade Sanga was just showing me this advert, it's an advert, Rural Education Authority is an opportunity employer, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation. That is very strange. But it's not a coincidence. Don't take it as a mere coincidence that there was a statement by the Chief Justice and then you have an advert coming out like that. Just frown upon such statements and condemn them. So we want to call upon Ria, a Ria management, can you immediately amend that advertisement? It doesn't sit well with us. Management of Ria immediately withdraw that advert, amend it and publish an advert that is befitting. We will not allow you to go, you know, scot-free, putting up such adverts in our public media. Why should you talk about someone disclosing their sex orientation? We frown upon such statements, Ria immediately withdraw this advert, amend it before you can publish it again. Ladies and gentlemen, with those few remarks, I wish to thank you more sincerely for your time. Thank you so much for your opposition. We are almost concluding. I'll now ask colleagues from the media if you have any questions, notifications, comments. Any questions, comments, observations? Well, thank you so much for coming and we hope to see you soon. Thank you. Just one small addition, now take advantage that there was no question. I've seen a number of my colleagues from the media as those who like to keep fit and some of them have supported them in a jogging with the former president. President Edgar Chagolungu is a Zambian citizen who enjoys his full rights, freedom of movement, freedom of association. So it's indeed a joke that somebody thinks that the mass mass show is jogging activity. They must now provide police to escort him to jog. President Dakai Ndeichilema is a free citizen who can decide to jog anytime, anywhere as he wishes. For those of you that have taken time to join him, please continue joining him for jogging. There is no offense that he commits by jogging and there is nothing wrong by those citizens that appreciate what he did when he was in government as they join him for jogging. A number of Zambians find solace because they are remembering this man as a man that built close to a thousand health facilities right across the country. When they see him jogging, they join him. When they see President Edgar Chagolungu jogging, they want to join him because he built so many schools where our friends have now come to introduce free education. So they want to appreciate him. I've seen a number of foreigners joining him when he's jogging because they appreciate facilities such as the airports and the road infrastructure and the communication right across the Sausage Airport. Yes, I've seen colleagues coming from Mungushi Conference Center to go and join him jogging because of the facilities that he has brought about. So it's mere appreciation of what President Edgar Chagolungu did. Right now as we speak, I'm receiving messages from Chilubi, from the swamps because of the communication towers that we've taken there. People communicating from Chilubi right now as I speak to you. So when a person from a trader from Chilubi, you know, from one of the four best constituencies coming to do some business, and he has a free day, they find it necessary to go and jog with President Edgar Chagolungu appreciating what he did. So to our government and especially the IG, you know, the IG, Inspector General of Police is worrying all of us, he's worrying all of us and really we don't know what to do. We don't know what to do with the IG. He's our elder brother, he's the elderly, you don't know what to do with, you know. So we have difficulties with the IG. So we had a chat with colleagues, what do we do with the IG, you know, we don't know what to do with the IG. So I think I'll leave it there, you know, we are a Christian nation, so sometimes, you know, as they say, we will do our best, God will do the rest. So I think for the IG where we are, I would want to invite everyone, you know, let's find time in our closet, we go down on our knees to pray for the IG. I think he needs help, he needs help. I know that I was listening to a radio yesterday, somebody was saying that he comes from a regime when it was a police force and his training, you know, they train them to intimidate and beat citizens. That was the training and he worked under that regime for a very long time. He may be finding it difficult, you know, to realign and realize now this is a police service, promoting human rights as it were. So as we, you know, talk to him about human rights, let's also remember him in prayers. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.