Sata thanks opposition for 49th Independence Day celebration participation

PRESIDENT Sata has thanked opposition political parties for participating in Zambia’s 49th Independence Day celebrations held on Thursday.
The President is grateful to opposition political parties for showing maturity and patriotism by attending the celebrations throughout the country.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by special assistant to the President for press and public relations George Chellah.
President Sata is happy that the majority of the opposition are demonstrating seriousness and genuine desire for national unity.
“This is how it should be and we hope that those few members within the opposition that attempted to undermine such an important national event will equally come to their senses and quit playing unnecessary cat-and-mouse politics and fomenting tension at the expense of serving the people loyally,” Mr Sata said.
President Sata also thanked United Party for National Development supporters who ignored unpatriotic calls from their leadership to shun this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
“I am glad that the celebrations went well countrywide,” he said.
Various political parties attended Zambia’s 49th independence anniversary celebrations and commended Government for inviting them.
The political parties whose members attended the event included MMD, People’s Party, National Revolution Party and National Restoration Party.
MMD spokesperson Dora Siliya said it is important to maintain dialogue with the leadership in Government, especially during national events.
People’s Party president Mike Mulongoti called on opposition party leaders shunning national events to rethink their decisions because national celebrations are beyond political lines.
NAREP president Elias Chipimo said Independence Day is a time for Zambians to ask themselves about what they can each do as citizens to uphold the causes that the fallen heroes stood for.