Zambia’s President Asks Cuba to Recall its Ambassador for Backing Opposition Party

The President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu has asked the government of Cuba to immediately recall its ambassador for openly supporting the newly formed opposition party.

Zambia’s president spokesperson Amos Chanda said on Sunday that the decision follows a speech that the ambassador, Nelson Pages Vilas made on Saturday during the launch of the party.

Chanda briefed local medias that Zambia has asked Cuban government to recall Vilas “for behavior unbecoming of a diplomat”, adding that Zambia’s diplomatic ties with Cuba would be retained.

Political tensions erupted in Zambia last month when the country’s main opposition party filed a motion seeking to impeach President Edgar Lungu on accusations of breaching the constitution.

The party, United Party for National Development (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.

However, President Lung u has since denied the allegations of electoral fraud.