DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION – DMDC “FOR THE ZAMBIA WE LOVE, FOR THE SOVEREIGN STATE WE OWN, FOR THE DEMOCRACY WE CHOSE” THURSDAY 14TH JANUARY, 2021
Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition Mika Lodge Jesmodine Lusaka Press Briefing Thursday 14 January 2021 Picture by Derrick Sinjela
DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION – DMDC
“FOR THE ZAMBIA WE LOVE, FOR THE SOVEREIGN STATE WE OWN, FOR THE DEMOCRACY WE CHOSE”
THURSDAY 14TH JANUARY, 2021
Good Morning compatriots
Leaders of civil societies, the media, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to the DEMOCRACY AND MOTHERLAND DEFENDERS COALITION – DMDC 2021 first press briefing.
The coalition wishes you the media a happy 2021 in your continued discharge of the noble duty of informing the general citizenry.
Fellow citizens this year is very important in the history of our country, it is critical in furthering of the growth as well as stability of the democratic milestones that our country has nurtured and attained.
As a united people we have always determined the course of our country, as a united people we have always agreed to pursue our national common good in peace regardless of the political divide or political affiliations.
Compatriots, the coalition is delighted to inform the nation that 2021 being an election year, we have sets of activities that we will be undertaking. The coalition just completed the two-day election training of its leadership yesterday in preparation for pre, during and post-elections activities.
Following the successful completion of this training for its national leadership as well as country-mapping, the coalition shall now proceed to collectively recruit, train and deploy 22,000 election monitors in all the districts to cover all the polling stations.
The Coalition has also requested the Electoral Commission of Zambia for participation in conducting an independent audit of the voter’s register and we hope to meet with the Commission to find a way in which this can be done.
We want to inform the nation and the general citizenry to count on us, we shall stand vigilant in monitoring activities that can lead to the distortion of the overall integrity and credibility of the August 12th election results.
The coalition attaches great importance to its objective of defending the sovereignty and democracy of our motherland. To effectively defend our democracy and motherland the coalition recognizes the importance of training. The coalition has since begun the training of the membership across the country.
As a Coalition, we shall endure to protect our country from foreign manipulation or interference in our electoral systems, processes.
While providing critical constructive criticism and feedback, we shall endure to respect and harmoniously work with our legally mandated institutions in serving our country.
Compatriots, our country has earned a reputation of being the beacon of peace, a reputation that is admired by many nations. We must therefore guard our peace jealously; we must never be naïve to allow any form of manipulations from any foreign interests that may seek to destabilize our peace in an effort to serve their selfish agendas.
Fellow citizens, the coalition wishes to politely remind our visitors and foreign residents in Zambia never to abuse our hospitality. We advise the diplomatic missions to operate within the legal framework of their missions in line with the Vienna Convention.
We note with sadness a systematic meddling in our sovereign governance processes and determination of our course, as well as some attempt to belittle and or discredit our governance autonomous institutions by some foreign missions.
We shall endure to defend and protect our forefathers and mothers resolve for self-rule and determination.
Compatriots we must never betray the unity, the resolve of our forefathers and mothers. The resolve and unity that sustained their focus during the struggle for political independence.
Fellow citizens, the Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition therefore reminds the diplomatic community in Zambia that their official host is the government of day, we remind them to enjoy the great Zambian hospitality with an immense sense of responsibility. We remind the diplomatic community to avoid the temptation to be bias, they must avoid the temptation to get involved in local politics.
The current situation of the coronavirus pandemic requires pragmatic, proactive situational management responses. The coalition therefore would like to remind the Electoral Commision of Zambia to begin instituting measures that will guide the country in adhering to the prescribed coronavirus protocols.
The Coalition proposes that the Electoral Commission of Zambia coordinates with Ministry of Foreign Affairs in implementing measures that safe guards the country from further coronavirus risk exposure. The Democracy and Motherland Defenders therefore proposes that International observers from highly coronavirus risk countries be subjected to higher standards of restrictions. Zambia must limit the number of international observers
Compatriots let’s not be naïve, cheat ourselves or allow to be cheated that there exist foreign interests that can serve the interests of Zambia better than ourselves.
A great Zambia can never be attained without the total vigilance, and patriotism of her citizens.
We have to dedicate ourselves to building Zambia in accordance with our aspirations.
We have to rededicate our patriotism and love for our country, our only country, our land of heritage, the land that our umbilical cords were planted in, the land of our children, the land of our children’s children.
May God bless Zambia our heritage land.
Andrew Ntewewe at a Democracy and Motherland Defenders Coalition Mika Lodge Jesmodine Lusaka Press Briefing Thursday 14 January 2021 Picture by Derrick Sinjela
