ZEC Backs MMD Calls for Dialogue

25 May 2011

The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has supported calls from the MMDfor the Church and Government to dialogue for harmony and peace.

In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, ZEC spokesperson PaulSamasumo urged MMD national secretary Richard Kachingwe and theGovernment to expedite the process that should lead to a dialogue.

On Monday, Major Kachingwe proposed dialogue with ZEC following aletter authored by ZEC president George Lungu to Catholic parishionersexpressing displeasure at what it alleged as persistent attacks on theChurch by the Government.

On departure for Windhoek, Namibia for the SADC Heads of State andGovernment Summit however, President Rupiah Banda said he had notattacked the Catholic Church.

Fr Samasumo feared that the letter authored by ZEC for circulationto all churches countrywide this Sunday could cause maximum divisionswithin the Catholic Church which had diverse membership.

He said the Catholic bishops had a history of respecting and promotingdialogue having attended similar meetings even when first Republicanpresident Kenneth Kaunda was in State House.

Fr Samasumo said the Government and the MMD as a party inGovernment must always promote dialogue which the Catholic Churchwould support without hesitation.

The contents of the letter had been misrepresented by the media to mean that the Church intended to campaign for Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata which would never happen.

He said the Catholic Church across the country had membership fromthe ruling party, the PF, UPND and other parties which made it impossible for ZEC to back any candidate.

“So the point is that we have had several elections before and harmony has continued which we must promote.

The party in Governmentmust commence a formal process for dialogue by writing to thepresident of ZEC through the secretariat and dialogue will take place.

We are ready to meet the Government any time,” Fr Samasumo said.He said ZEC was ready to withdraw the letter depending on how fast proposals for dialogue can be worked out but that the matter rested in the hands of the ZEC president.

Father Samasumo said the letter from ZEC was a call for calm from the parishioners and not a statement of disengagement like it had been perceived.

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