I won’t resign, says Scott Guy Scott
Guy Scott

Guy Scott

LUSAKA. — Zambia’s interim leader Dr Guy Scott said he will not bow to pressure and blackmail from ministers and resign from his position, a statement released by his office and seen by Xinhua yesterday said. On Wednesday, 14 out of the 20 Cabinet ministers passed a vote of no confidence in Scott’s leadership and accused him of running the country in a dangerous and haphazard manner without due regard to the peace, security, unity and stability of the country.

The ministers asked him to resign from his position as the country’s acting president on moral grounds.

But Scott, who assumed the position of acting Zambian president following the death of President Michael Sata on October 28, said there was no provision in the country’s constitution where ministers could gather and demand for the resignation of the country’s president.

The acting Zambian president, who described the move by the ministers to demand for his resignation as an act of treason, said he was not going to resign from his position and that he will ensure that the rule of law was followed in the run-up to the January 20 presidential election.

“Let me emphasise that I am not going to resign. The rule of law must be respected by all well-meaning Zambians to maintain our legacy as the torch- bearers of democracy in Africa,” he said.

Scott claimed that the ministers pressuring him to resign his position were only interested in abusing government resources for campaigns ahead of the presidential election, adding that he will not be blackmailed to allow the use of government resources for partisan interests.

“I am aware that there are some individual members of Cabinet who have called upon me to tender my resignation. However, there is no provision in the constitution for such a demand,” he said.

“The transition period is 90 days. Within this period, as acting president, I am committed to following the constitution of Zambia, and ensuring a peaceful, legal, transparent and constitutional presidential by-election,” he added.

Scott has had a torrid time with some ministers in the government following Sata’s death as he has difference openly with defence and justice minister Edgar Lungu, who is the leader of the governing Patriotic Front (PF).

Lungu has the backing of most of the ministers and about 70 of the 82 lawmakers from the governing party.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba in a statement on behalf of the 14 ministers defended the move claiming: “As Cabinet we have noted that Dr Scott has persistently worked against the interest of the party.

“Clearly the confidence and trust we reposed in Dr Scott was totally misplaced and he has since abused our trust.”

Cabinet ministers have the right to remove the president in an official vote.

Zambia’s High Court declared Lungu the PF’s candidate this month, but a faction loyal to Scott elected economist Miles Sampa as its leader and said it would take the matter to the Supreme Court.

Since the commencement of campaigns for the presidential election, Scott has refused to join Lungu in the campaigns and unconfirmed reports have linked the acting president to a new political party that was formed by former justice minister Wynter Kabimba this week. — Xinhua.

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