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Citizens First (CF) has questioned President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision to attend the inauguration of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, saying it contradicted his previous stance on democracy and regional governance.
CF leader, Harry Kalaba, said President Hichilema coukd not continue to preach democracy on international platforms while practising what he termed “selective morality” both at home and abroad.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Kalaba recalled that in 2023, President Hichilema declined to attend the inauguration of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, citing concerns over the conduct and outcome of Zimbabwe’s August 2023 harmonised elections.
He pointed out that those elections were, however, acknowledged by both the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) as having met minimum democratic standards.
“How then does President Hichilema justify attending President Hassan’s inauguration when the Tanzanian elections were clearly tainted by the unlawful imprisonment of key opposition leaders, the deliberate exclusion of political contenders and reports of hundreds of protesters killed in the aftermath of the polls? Is this the ‘New Dawn’ definition of democracy, one where principles are applied only when politically convenient?” Kalaba questioned.
He said this inconsistency exposed a troubling pattern, suggesting that President Hichilema appears more motivated by personal alliances than by a genuine commitment to democratic values.
Kalaba further argued that the decision now raised doubts about whether Hichilema’s earlier refusal to attend President Mnangagwa’s inauguration was based on democratic principles or personal grievances.
“President Hichilema’s selective judgment of what constitutes a free, fair and credible election is not only hypocritical but dangerous. His actions risk isolating Zambia diplomatically, weakening our moral voice in SADC, and casting doubt on our foreign policy credibility,” he said.
He demanded consistency from the Head of State, warning that Zambia could not afford leadership that “uses democracy as a weapon against those he dislikes while turning a blind eye to blatant violations when politically expedient.”
Kalaba urged the Presidency to clarify whether Zambia now supports elections marred by violence and repression or whether President Hichilema was “simply shifting goalposts to suit his own political friendships.”
“Zambia deserves principled leadership, not selective diplomacy,” Kalaba said.
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