NEWS-PeP STATEMENT No.69 ISSUED ON FRIDAY, 3rd SEPTEMBER 2021:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) we are extremely disappointed with the continued failure by President Hakainde Hichilema to declare his assets to the public upon ascending to the Presidency. This is despite the promises that Mr Hichilema made while in opposition that he will run a transparent and accountable Government whereby all senior public officials including himself will declare their assets upon being sworn into office. Despite being a moral obligation, declaration of assets is also a legal obligation.
2. Declaration of assets to the public by any President is critical because it unveils how much of his own money a President has entered State House with. This will help the nation to determine how much money the President accumulated while in State House, at the end of his tenure in 2026. We expected President Hakainde Hichilema to make a declaration of his assets on 24th August 2021 when he was sworn into office as Zambia’s 7th President, but we have seen that he is quiet so far. We wish to put it on record that all of Zambia’s former Republican Presidents declared their assets upon ascending to the Presidency and we are at pains to understand why President Hichilema is resisting to do so.
3. As Patriots for Economic Progress we are getting increasingly unsettled with the shadowy manner in which President Hichilema and his UPND Government are running the affairs of the nation so far. We are also concerned with the violent manner in which UPND supporters are responding to those who are providing checks and balances to the new Government. Our message to President Hichilema, his Government and their supporters is that if they do not want us to criticize them, then they should learn to do things properly without being reminded. For as long as they do wrong things, we shall not be shy to tell the Zambian people that what President Hichilema and his Government are doing is wrong.
4. As Patriots for Economic Progress we hereby give President Hakainde Hichilema a 14 day ultimatum for him to fulfill the constitutional requirement to declare his assets to the public. If upon expiration of 14 days the President continues to resist to declare his assets to the public, we will be left with no option but to approach the Constitutional Court and file a petition against his non-compliance with constitutional provisions. No one is above the law.
Thank You and May God Bless the Good Citizens of the Republic of Zambia and Our Hopeful Nation.
YOURS SINCERELY
SEAN E. TEMBO (SET)
PARTY PRESIDENT
PATRIOTS FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS (PeP)
