A CROSS-SECTION of society, including five chiefs from different provinces, have commended United Party for National Development (UPND) president HakaindeHichilema for taking a bold decision to abandon his party’s pact with the Patriotic Front (PF).
UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa has also welcomed the withdrawal of his party from the pact.
And the MMD has said it had long expected the disintegration of the pact because it was characterised by insincerity by its partners.
Mr Kalusa said UPND youths have been vindicated because they have always regarded the pact as a ‘headless chicken’ running in no specific direction.
Mr Kalusa said in an interview in Kitwe yesterday that the PF and UPND will have an uphill battle against the MMD in this year’s tripartite elections.
“This is good news because as UPND youths, we have been bold enough by announcing to the nation the death of the pact,” he said.
Former PF secretary general Edward Mumbi said Mr Hichilema has made an intelligent decision.
“Mr Hichilema’s decision to come out in the open to say that he will stand as presidential candidate for UPND and field members of Parliament in all the constituencies is a very decent and intelligent approach,” he said.
Mr Mumbi advised Mr Hichilema and his party to consider working with progressive political parties to contribute to Zambia’s growing democracy.
PF Materomember of Parliament Faustina Sinyangwe said “rebel” MPs have been vindicated by the turn of events.
“When we said this pact was going nowhere, people thought we were just being mean. Some people are allergic to working with other people,” she said.
She said it is good that the UPND has realised that the pact is dead when there is still time to re-organise itself and start campaigns.
Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire commended Mr Hichilema for realising the alleged insincerity of Mr Sata and his secretary general Wynter Kabimba.
He said Mr Sata and his party wanted to use Mr Hichilema like a schoolboy to get to State House.
And MMD acting national secretary Chembe Nyangu said the death of the pact was expected because some leaders were insincere.
“The problem is that they both want to be presidential candidates because they both think they are popular,” he said.
Mr Nyangu said the PF had not been sincere with the UPND, and that is what has caused the break-up of the pact.
“The problem is that the PF wanted to gain popularity in provinces where UPND was enjoying support such as in Southern and North-Western provinces. But in all this, Mr Hichilema is to blame,” he said.
Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga says the pact’s death was expected because it was formed for wrong reasons, and that its survival and chances of the two parties harmonising their manifestos and policies were non-existent.
“The announcement by Mr Hichilema essentially means that the final nail in the coffin of the pact has been driven…I am not surprised that the pact has officially and finally passed on and what remains is for PF and UPND members to give the pact a decent burial.
“They must move on and deal with realities of Zambian politics in 2011,” Mr Mwaanga said.
He, however, said the MMD does not take delight in the political misfortunes of others, and that the party will not be blinded by the pact’s demise, but continue working hard to deliver its promises to the Zambian people.
Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes executive director Lee Habasonda has described as a sad development Mr Hichilema’s decision to pull out of the pact.
Mr Habasonda said in an interview in Lusaka on March 7 the decision will weaken the opposition and make the MMD continue dominating and ruling the country.
And five traditional leaders have hailed the UPND for withdrawing from the pact.
The chiefs said in separate interviews the pulling out by the UPND from the pact is a welcome move because the two leaders of the alliance were not honest to be entrusted with the responsibility of running the affairs of the nation.
Chief Mwanachingwala said Zambians must not trust the two pact leaders because they are insincere to be entrusted with the responsibility of running the affairs of the nation.
The traditional leaders are Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni-speaking people in Eastern Province, Chief Chikanta, Chief Chipepo and Chief Mwanachingwala, of the Tonga-speaking people of Southern Province and Chief Kaputa of the Bemba-speaking people in Northern Province.
Chief Madzimawe said Zambians should have thought wisely before supporting the PF-UPND pact because it was formed out of the two people’s desperation to ascend to power.
Chief Kaputa said the break-up of the pact is a welcome move because the two pact leaders lack merit to run the affairs of the nation.
Chief Chikanta said the break in the pact is a welcome move as it will give an opportunity to the ruling party to win this year’s elections with a landslide victory.
Chief Chipepo said the pact has died because the two leaders did not consult their supporters before forming the alliance.
He advised Zambians to vote for President Banda in this year’s polls to foster economic development in the country.
Mr Hichilema announced his party’s withdrawal from the pact with the PF and also declared that he will stand as presidential candidate in this year’s elections under the UPND.
Mr Hichilema also announced that UPND would field candidates in all parliamentary constituencies and wards during this year’s general elections.
His pull-out is a culmination of months of constant wrangling between the erstwhile partners.
No comments:
Post a Comment