Opposition MMD National Secretary Muhabi Lungu says the former ruling party has difficulties working with the UPND because UPND members believe that they have arrived.
Mr Lungu said the general feeling among MMD members is that the UPND would be a difficult party to work with due to the bad altitude of some of its members.
He said the MMD is always open to working with other progressive opposition parties but will not allow itself to be treated as a lesser political organisation in any alliance.
Mr Lungu was speaking Friday evening when he featured on a live radio programme on UNZA FM.
“Well I would say that I think the sentiments in as far as many members of the MMD are concerned at the moment towards the UPND have been estranged. We understand that it would be within the ambit of the PF to hammer the MMD but we fail to understand why our colleagues within in the UPND feel that we must be obliterated for them to be able to survive,” Mr Lungu said.
He added, “Many of us find the altitude of the UPND very worrying that they believe that they have arrived and many of us count for nothing. Now we can say congratulations to them if they believe they have arrived but ultimately the electorate will make a decision on who represents this country on a broader basis and on a broader range of issues.”
Mr Lungu reiterated that the MMD is always open to possibilities of an alliance with other political parties.
“We are in an alliance with four other political parties and we are working well together and we have a made a decision that at an appropriate time if we should field a joint candidate everyone one of us will have to make decision on the basis of what is rationale at that given time and our President even went to the extent of saying that he wasn’t preoccupied with being the President but it appears that our friends in the UPND unless they are number 1, unless they are offering the Presidency then no can’t do. The rest of us have to kneel and say yes Sir to you and that we cannot accept as the MMD.”
He added, “We have clearly set out rules and regulations and we have got a clear set of ideas which are very clear, we believe in a free market and we believe in democracy and if other political parties will impose their dictatorial tendencies on you then we will have to buckle at the possibility of working such an organisation but we are open.”
On demands by MPs to have their salaries increased, Mr Lungu regretted that there is an attempt to paint a picture that demands to increase MPs allowances is only coming from MMD MPs.
“What is clear is that the party has made its official position known. We have said the demands for increased salaries is not in tandem with the current social and economic situation but what is worrying is that some quarters want to make it appear that this is the MMD MPs fighting alone,” he said.
He added, “In that debate which i heard myself, there were MPs from the UPND, MPs from the PF who were also debating for this issue.”
Mr Lungu said, “We should not try to reduce the importance of the discussion by zooming on a particular individual or a political party but looking at the principle and the principle is that every time that the issue of emoluments either for MPs or for the President came up when we were in power, the condemnation from civil society and the public generally was always that this was a responsibility of the Head of State and that he is the one who has to put a stop to this, now in this particular case there is this attempt to vilify the MMD, now it is ultimately going to be a decision of the Patriotic Front Government.”
He stated that in the last three years of the Patriotic Front Government, they have adjusted the salaries of the President and the salaries of the Ministers three times.
“The salary of the President now is a 100 percent of what it was when we were in power and yet the voices of reason have not been as loud.”
Mr Lungu continued, “I raise this issue because if someone is principally wrong, all of us have to be able to rally to condemn what is wrong, we should not use the basis of whether something is right or wrong on the basis of somebody who has raised it or whether we like that person or we don’t like them.”
“This issue is clear, as far as the MMD is concerned, we think that this should not be done. It is ill timed but ultimately the buck stops with the President and those in Government who know that they have overspent and this country has a huge deficit as a percentage of the budget and that this country is in debt, enormous debt.”
Mr Lungu added, “In the three years, we have increased our debt from 1.2 to 7 billion in three years and our domestic debt is also enormously large and the Government is spending as if there is not tomorrow yet the level of expenditure, the impact of that expenditure is not been felt by an ordinary Zambian and that we should be able to indicate to this Government.”
UPND has arrived Mr Lungu for sure, MMD was given 20 years and messed this country.PF has also been given five years and has messed itself.
UPND have arrived at the Head Teacher’s office to enrol for grade 1.. HH is now 5 not under.
UPND cannot work with other parties because its a tribal party period……Muhabi is just being economical with his words
HH is too shallow to lead the country. Lets have some young but mature and experienced person at the helm with a good TEAM. UPND has no team, all the have HH’s money! with that money they can be very loud but empty!
lungu concentrate on building your mmd and not attacking UPND day in day out. envy is a cancer which will eat you up. the fact that you are exhibiting uneasiness describes you as scared little men. if you do things right there will be no need to practice shadow boxing alungu
@Matipa-Muhabi is not attacking UPND.He’s simply saying it’s difficult to work with them,because to them they behave as though they have arrived at state house.Any arrangement where there are not No.1,they won’t participate.Pliz UPND don’t be chumbu munsholwa.Always twisting the facts-What type of spicies are you?
@Matipa, UPND started this by attacking MMD for no reason! why are you twisting things? Tell HH to stop attacking his fellow opposition parties.
If he continues attacking MMD, he should be ready for a response!
MMD and UPND are two separate entities. Why is MMD obsessed with having a working relationship with UPND? Both parties are competing for votes, never heard of an MP who resigned from MMD to join UPND.
Don`t worry Muhabi it is typical of UPND to think that they have arrived.They have been doing it in the past 3 presidential elections, but at the end of the day their numbers just keeps on reducing.Even in the last presidential elections they pulled out of an alliance with PF because they thought they had arrived.Some things will never change !!!
True that.UPND statistics just keeps on going down as they participate in more elections.
If voting patterns were static as you claim, UNIP or MMD would still be in power today. UPND have outsmarted their opponents by refusing to be in alliance where parties waste time quarrelling instead of mobilising.
UPND has always been living in denial and does not want to accept that they are only popular in southern province where they enjoy a massive 71 % popularity. This denial has seen their political fortunes drop since 2006 when HH took over the leadership from 25% to 19 % and recently to 18 %. MMD is more popular than UPND because they have a broader support base and are particularly popular in 4 provinces ( central, eastern, western & north western )
UPND has a loyal political base of 18% that has been voting for the party even when the odds are against them winning. At the moment UPND is considered as the leading opponent to the ruling party and most swing voters will vote for them if elections are held today. Secondly, as witnessed in recent bye elections UPND is attracting a lot of former MMD members and they are also attracting most of the disillusioned PF supporters in cities who feel cheated by Sata’s lies.
Voting patterns keep changing and as things stand now the odds are in favour of UPND while the MMD support base is shrinking. Even in Eastern province, without RB at the helm of the part MMD is not guaranteed a win if they compete against MMD
Zed Patriot
Please spare our ribs,we’ve been hearing about voting patterns changing in favour of UPND for nearly 10 yrs now. The only thing changing is that decent Tongas don’t want to be associated with UPND anymore. HH has more money than charisma needed to win hearts and ultimately votes of electorates.
Msana wanzii
I am sure you have never listened to HH speak in your life. As expected you have resorted to tribal ranting instead of challenging the points I outlined explaining why UPND is in a better position than MMD to beat PF.
Zed Patriot
I know him more than you do, I worked with him for 5 years, he’s got charisma of log.
@Zed Patriot, every ruling party that loses an election goes through a period of slump in public opinion. It is normal! Look at the Republicans (US) and Labour (UK). The true test is not just after the elections, but in the medium to long term. According UPND analysis, MMD should have ceased to exist by now, but they made a good choice for a charismatic leader to keep the party alive. Hence UPND is trying to ‘force’ the demise of MMD.
Please be clear; the very character of MMD will keep it afloat! with the recent wrangles MMD should have gone into oblivion but its character kept it afloat.
Mr Muhabi Lungu well said and I am MMD for life. The foundations of MMD are beyond the confines of these guys in UPND, MMD will survive until we are no more and our Children will carry the day as well. Keep on preaching the truth. Politics do evolve. this is not 2011.
Before 2011, UPND claimed that the political land scape has changed towards them more than PF, but the results showed that they were infact reducing in numbers. Come 2016 for reality MMD will even do better. After 2011 , out of 16 by-elections, UPND have only won 5, and they claim to be a more popular party.
Grand
‘Burying heads in the sand’ comes to mind every time these guys go into over-drive over estimating their popularity. The trouble is they campaign in their stronghold all the time so it’s difficult for them to see the bigger picture.
My honest comment is that if you had asked me about 6 months I would have said there was no hope for MMD. But things have changed dramatically after the failure of the noises to rmove Nevers.
Nevers has behaved very presidentially and has demonstrated that he is a mature democrat. His comments are always well reasoned out whereas HH is now in a panic mode holding press conferences every other day. Muhabi is a very definite plus to the stability and possible resurgence of the MMD. He’s sharp but more importantly seems genuinely loyal to Nevers whihc is very important.
Munabi Lungu is shooting his missiles on wrong targets. As a former UNIP activist, he should have read the freezing temperature bothering our Zambian climate. He needs to understand the broader political dynamics inflicting the Zambian people.
Only recently, the Mumba-led MMD leadership embarked on openly attacking prominent fellow-MMD leaders to the pleasure of PF camp.
The injury Nevers Mumba inflicted on Dora Siliya, Kaingu, Chituwo, Mulusa only served lunches upon which PF rejoiced privately, The fact that these leaders had preferred to take a low profile speaks volumes of their political maturity.
Munabi needs to review factors that led Mwale and former Deputy Speaker cross over to UPND. Munabi must learn to fight the common enemy. MMD shall need UPND at crucial time
Muhabi, stop blaming and lecturing UPND over the recruitment exercise it is carrying out. Just put your house in order. The problem with your party, is allowing madness to creep through your party ranks. Please formalize the role being played by this Congolese ***** called Bowman Lusambo. You have allowed him too much latitude to speak for the party and all that he utters is total nonsense. He (Bowman) has failed to bring to justice PF thugs who threatened him with guns and machetes to near death at City market. And yet he find so much pleasure to attack an institution which is represented by people of all walks of life. No human being can turn or transform members of public to believe in tribalism unless those suffering from insanity.
MUSANA WANZILI
Just before 2011, UPND thought they have gained groundnin Lusaka than MMD, than PF, when results came, MMD even performed far much better than UPND, in Lusaka. I cant just wait for 2016
Guys please take time to listen to HH this evening on Assignment with Costa on Muvi TV 19:30. Please make a date with HH. Life will never be the same for ZED. This a Tsunami cutting across ZED.
MUSANA WANZILI
Don’t compare Masuku with Apples. You are still living past glory. LET PF and its cronies open the campaign space.
wel said mr Lungu.HH is not a politician but a businessman so for him he feels content at his level in his political life the man cant win a election upnd pliz choose someone else not HH he lacks chrisma try NKHOMBO
@ Feligo,
UPND has always claimed popularity even where they can’t win. They think like babies, like who ever is disappointed with PF, then automatically votes for them. NO bwana !!. After 2011, UPND has failed to even win a counsellor seat in Nothern, muchinga, luapula , eastern. While PF has been winning some counsellor seats where they have never won before like Southern, western, Northwesten.
Our brothers and sisters in UPND are TOO presumptuous. Presumption is a mark of immaturity!
Ati HH. a failed project under UPND. He was given a platform to market his party and himself what does he do? busy condemning PF failing to answer simple and straight forward questions!!!! ati opposition to give checks and balances. I feel ashamed with HH to rank him top 3 parties in our country
When you have money, people will listen to you even when you have nothing of real substance to say! When it gets boring, you can attack MMD and then cry when MMD responds!