Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Sunday requested that Cuba recall its ambassador for allegedly expressing support for a new opposition party.

Cuban ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas reportedly attended the launch of the "Socialist Party" on Saturday in Lusaka and was accused of publicly saying that he supported the party.

"The president has directed that the Cuban ambassador be recalled for behaviour that is unbecoming of a diplomat," presidential spokesperson Amos Chanda told reporters.

"The Cuban ambassador attended a party function and announced that he will support the opposition party and said he wished them well."

Lungu has been accused by critics of increasingly authoritarian rule and of cracking down on dissent in Zambia since he narrowly won elections in 2016.

The main opposition UPND party disputes the election result and has filed a motion to impeach the president, but the scheduled vote in parliament last week was delayed.

The motion would likely be easily defeated by lawmakers from the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).

Lungu's spokesman said the request for the Cuban ambassador to be recalled would not affect relations between the two countries.

The Cuban embassy and the Socialist Party were not immediately available to comment.

The Socialist Party's leader was named as Fred M'membe, the former editor of the private Post newspaper that was critical of Lungu's government and which was closed down before the last election.

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FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook. </s> Zambia has asked Cuba to recall its ambassador for openly supporting the newly launched opposition Socialist Party, the president’s spokesman said on Sunday.

Amos Chanda said ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas spoke at the party’s launch on Saturday.

He directed that the Cuban ambassador be recalled “for behavior unbecoming of a diplomat,” Chanda told a media briefing, adding that diplomatic ties with Cuba would be retained.

“An ambassador is accredited to the government of the Republic of Zambia, he is never accredited to any political party, not even the ruling party. He cannot speak and offer open support to any political formation, he can’t do that even to the ruling party,” said Chanda.

Political tensions were rekindled in Zambia last month when the country’s main opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), filed a motion seeking to impeach President Edgar Lungu over accusations of breaching the constitution.

The UPND challenged Lungu’s 2016 election victory in court, alleging fraud, arguing that that obliged him to hand over power to parliament’s speaker until the court considered its petition. </s> President Edgar Lungu has expelled the Cuban Ambassador accredited to Zambia.

On Saturday Cuban Ambassador to Zambia Nelson Pages Vilas, graced the launch of the Socialist Party in Zambia.

In what he described as a Revolutionary greetings, the Ambassador said his government was wishing the Socialist Party in Zambia all the best.

But President Lungu said Ambassador Pages-Vilas has breached diplomatic ethics, practice and standards by his action.

President Lungu was speaking through his Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Amos Chanda when he addressed the media at Taj Pamodzi Hotel </s> Zambia has asked Cuba to recall its ambassador for openly supporting the newly launched opposition Socialist Party, the president’s spokesman said on Sunday.

Zambian Government Spokesman Amos Chanda said ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas spoke at the party’s launch on Saturday.

Political tensions were rekindled in Zambia last month when the country’s main opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), filed a motion seeking to impeach President Edgar Lungu over accusations of breaching the constitution.

The UPND challenged Lungu’s 2016 election victory in court, alleging fraud, arguing that that obliged him to hand over power to parliament’s speaker until the court considered its petition.

He directed that the Cuban ambassador be recalled “for behaviour unbecoming of a diplomat,” Chanda told a media briefing, adding that diplomatic ties with Cuba would be retained.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the ambassador for comment. </s> Zambia has asked Cuba to recall its ambassador for openly supporting the newly launched opposition Socialist Party, the president’s spokesman said on Sunday.

Amos Chanda said ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas spoke at the party’s launch on Saturday.

He directed that the Cuban ambassador be recalled “for behavior unbecoming of a diplomat,” Chanda told a media briefing, adding that diplomatic ties with Cuba would be retained.

An ambassador is accredited to the government of the Republic of Zambia, he is never accredited to any political party, not even the ruling party. He cannot speak and offer open support to any political formation, he can’t do that even to the ruling party.

“An ambassador is accredited to the government of the Republic of Zambia, he is never accredited to any political party, not even the ruling party. He cannot speak and offer open support to any political formation, he can’t do that even to the ruling party,” said Chanda.

Political tensions were rekindled in Zambia last month when the country’s main opposition party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), filed a motion seeking to impeach President Edgar Lungu over accusations of breaching the constitution.

The UPND challenged Lungu’s 2016 election victory in court, alleging fraud, arguing that that obliged him to hand over power to parliament’s speaker until the court considered its petition. </s> Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda has said that the Cuban Mission would continue to exist as President Edgar Lungu was only interested in removing Ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas for breaching international diplomatic practice.

“The Cuban diplomatic mission continues to exist, the President has requested a recall of one individual, and that is the ambassador. We are taking exactly what he said, he attended and offered his best wishes and his support to the opposition Socialist Party so the request is for the removal of one diplomat and this is His Excellency the ambassador who apparently just presented his credentials on Thursday.”

Mr Chanda said that President Lungu has decided to ask the Cuban government to recall its Zambian envoy Nelson Pages Vilas for openly declaring his support for the opposition Socialist Party.

“The Cuban Ambassador attended a party function and announced at that function that he will support the opposition party that has been formed, the Socialist Party. He wished them well and went further to announce that they have his support, that contravenes established diplomatic practice.”

“An ambassador is accredited to the government of the Republic of Zambia, he is never accredited to any political party, not even the ruling party. He cannot speak and offer open support to any political formation, he can’t do that even to the ruling party,” said Chanda.

Mr Chanda said it was a clear red light for Ambassador Vilas, who was only accredited last week, to declare his support for the opposition party led by former Post editor-in-chief Dr Fred M’membe.

Chanda said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been instructed the process to recall him.

“I called you to brief you on one important decision that the President has made with regards to the conduct of the Cuban Ambassador to Zambia.”

“The President has directed that the Cuban Ambassador be recalled, the Foreign Affairs Ministry must make all procedures today to start the process of the recall of the Cuban Ambassador. That is, the sending state must recall the Cuban Ambassador for behavior unbecoming of a diplomat. This relates to his involvement in partisan politics which is totally in contravention of established diplomatic practice,” Chanda said.

“The President has instructed the permanent secretary foreign affairs to call in the ambassador and inform him of this decision. It is quite extraordinary that of all people, the Cuban Ambassador himself knows that in Cuba, the opposition is not just resented, it is totally absent.”

“You would expect that the Cuban ambassador would know that diplomatic practice prohibits that kind of behavior. An ambassador ought to have known that that is a clear red line. So a decision has been made for the Zambian government to request the Cuban government to recall their ambassador for behavior that is contrary to that which is expected of a diplomat.”

“Conduct unbecoming of a diplomat is the official reason for which the Zambian government, particularly the president has taken this decision.” </s> Zambian President Edgar Lungu will not intervene in the treason case against opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, he told a public rally late on Friday. Hichilema was taken into police custody this week for allegedly refusing to give way to Lungu's motorcade as it passed through Mongo, 500 km west of the capital Lusaka, last Saturday.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Jerusalem Post. </s> ARREST OF ZAMBIAN OPPOSITION LEADER IS AN UNACCEPTABLE, INTOLERABLE POLITICAL MANOEUVRE BY THE LUNGU GOVERNMENT

The Africa Liberal Network (ALN) condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent arrest of the Zambian opposition leader, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on charges of treason. This is the latest development in the ruling party’s attempts to silence dissent and opposition.

Hichilema, the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), a full member of the ALN and Zambia’s largest opposition party, was arrested in his home in Lusaka. Zambian police reportedly raided his home during the night, breaking down doors and tear-gassing the house. Mr Hichilema’s attorney states that he has been detained for committing treason by obstructing a motorcade of President Edgar Lungu. Treason is an unbailable offence in the country and carries a minimum jail term of 15 years and a maximum sentence of the death penalty.

“We urge the Zambian government to respect due process, the rule of law, and to immediately cease all arbitrary arrests of its political opponents. It is unacceptable for the governing party in a constitutional democracy such as Zambia to allow for politically-motivated issues such as this to occur.

As President of Africa’s largest political affiliation, I will encourage representatives and our member parties to submit questions to their respective national legislatures and other structures concerning this alarming matter. We will explore potential options to add pressure to President Lungu’s government and request satisfactory clarity.”

According to the opposition leader’s representatives, Mr Hichilema will take legal action to challenge the police action, the brutality of which left Mr Hichilema and his wife unwell.

This event follows previous unacceptable actions by the Zambian governing party, the Patriotic Front (PF). Manipulation of the voting, counting, and other mechanisms in favour of the PF was pervasive in the August 2016 elections, and legal challenges of the elections by the UPND have been blocked. Mr Hichilema and UPND vice-president Geoffrey Mwamba have also been previously arrested for unlawful assembly and sedition. PF supporters have on several occasions committed acts of political violence such as attacking UPND supporters and vandalising UPND property.

The Africa Liberal Network is Africa’s largest political affiliation, consisting of 45 member parties from over 25 countries. The following statement and remarks are provided by the newly-elected ALN President, Stevens Mokgalapa MP, the South African Shadow Minister for International Relations and Co-operation (Democratic Alliance). </s> LUSAKA, April 19 (Reuters) - Lawyers for a Zambian opposition party leader accused of trying to overthrow the government asked a court on Wednesday to throw out the case, saying the state charges are vague and ambiguous.

Hakainde Hichilema, the United Party for National Development (UPND) leader, was arrested last week in a police raid on his home.

He was initially accused of treason on the grounds that he had refused to give way to President Edgar Lungu's motorcade as it passed through Mongu, a town west of the capital Lusaka.

On Tuesday, Hichilema was charged in court with plotting with other people between October 10 last year and April 8 this year to overthrow the government by unlawful means.

The arrest has raised political tension in Zambia. The Southern African country has tradionally been relatively stable but relations between the government and opposition have been fraught since last August, when Lungu's Patriotic Front (PF) party beat the UPND in a presidential election marred by violence.

The opposition says the vote was rigged but Hichilema has so far failed in his legal challenge against the result.

Defence lawyer Keith Mweemba said on Wednesday that the treason charge was defective and bad at law.

"This court has power to quash the indictment and discharge the accused," Mweemba said.

The government has offered no further details on the alleged plot. Prosecutor Gemani Zimba said the state could still amend the charge to make it specific.

Magistrate Greenwell Malumani said a ruling would be made at a later date. Hichilema remains in detention.

Lungu has narrowly beaten Hichilema, an economist and businessman who goes by the nickname "HH", in two presidential elections by a close margin.

Human rights group Amnesty International said in its last annual report that the August presidential election was marked by increased political violence.

Authorities had repressed the right to freedom of expression and assembly, while police used excessive force to disperse meetings of opposition parties meetings, it said.

Hichilema and his UPND deputy Geoffrey Mwamba were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly and seditious practices in October after a party meeting, an action Amnesty called at the time a ploy to intimidate and silence the opposition. Hichilema and his deputy were granted bail after being charged with sedition.

The rising political temperature in Zambia, Africa's second-biggest copper producer, comes against the backdrop of an economy hobbled by low commodity prices, mine closures, rising unemployment, power shortages, a widening budget deficit and diminishing foreign-currency reserves. (Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Zambian President Edgar Lungu requests that Cuba recall its ambassador, Nelson Pages Vilas, for allegedly expressing support for a new opposition party.