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Former Zambian VP endorses main opposition leader ahead of polls

Xinhua, March 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Former Zambian Vice President Guy Scott on Monday endorsed the candidature of main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema and claimed that incumbent President Edgar Lungu has lost direction.

Scott, a founder member of the governing Patriotic Front (PF) along with late President Michael Sata in 2001, endorsed the candidature of Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) together with Miles Sampa, Sata's nephew who recently resigned from government ahead of the August 11 general elections.

Scott, who also served as acting Zambian president when Sata died on 2014, said during a press briefing in Lusaka that the country was in a wrong direction under the Lungu administration and that Zambians will perish if they don't change the government.

"I told all Zambians that Edgar Lungu and his administration will make the people of this good country perish, this is not a joke, I saw it coming, don't blame me or Sata, blame Lungu because he created this suffering," he said.

Sampa, whose party, the Democratic Front he formed after resigning from the governing party has been deregistered, said he will work with Hichilema to unseat the current government.

He said change of government was inevitable because of the current economic problems in the country.

Lungu won last year's presidential election necessitated by Sata's death after defeating Hichilema. Endit