We are glad that the President has responded affirmatively to the increasing calls for him to address the nation via a press conference. We recall that shortly after being sworn into office, the President made a commitment that he would be having regular direct interactions with citizens, and while this has so far largely been restricted to updates on his social media pages, we hope that the press conference on Monday will be the start of this deeper level of engagement that also allows the media to ask pertinent questions directly to the President.
Our expectation is that the President will address the raging speculation surrounding the Milingo Lungu and DPP issue. This should however be done with caution considering the fact that the case is before the courts of Law.
We also expect the President to speak to the general concern that citizens and other stakeholders have about the efficacy of the strategies his administration is employing in the fight against corruption. We would be happy if the President went as far as providing a clear roadmap for the development of a comprehensive country strategy to guide his administration’s fight corruption, which currently appears to be haphazard.
Lastly, it is also our expectation that the President will address concerns related to the rising cost of living and provide some sort of assurance to citizens about what his administration is doing specifically to arrest the situation.
Maurice K. Nyambe
Executive Director
