Thursday, March 28, 2024

Opposition alliance unfazed with by-elections losses

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File:Alliance for Better Zambia president Father Frank Bwalya blows a whistle against the government's refusal to release the Zambian draft constitution
File:Alliance for Better Zambia president Father Frank Bwalya blows a whistle against the government’s refusal to release the Zambian draft constitution

The Opposition Alliance says the ruling Patriotic Front should not be carried away by its victories in the recent parliamentary by-elections that it will win the 2016 tripartite elections.

Alliance Coordinator Father Frank Bwalya told QFM News that the 2016 elections will be totally different from the by-elections, considering that the ruling party has an upper hand in by-elections.

Fr Bwalya said the opposition alliance comprising the MMD,Alliance for Better Zambia,Zambias for Empowerment and Development, People’s Party and All People’s Congress is comforted by the fact that the 2016 elections will be different and the ruling party will not enjoy the same advantage it enjoys during by-elections.

Fr Bwalya who is also ABZ President said the opposition alliance is therefore not worried by the dismal performance of its member the MMD in the just ended by-elections were the former ruling party only managed to return one seat of the four it previously held.

He stressed that in Zambia it is very difficult for the opposition to win by-elections as the ruling party tends to have an upper using the advantage of incumbency.

Father Bwalya said the Opposition Alliance will continue to continue mobilize ahead of the 2016 general elections.

Meanwhile Father Bwalya has expressed disappointment at President Michael Sata for branding the people who voted for the opposition in the just ended parliamentary by-elections as enemies of development and national unity.

Fr Bwalya said Mr Sata was President because many Zambians decided to vote for an opposition leader in 2011 and it was therefore unacceptable that just after three years in the presidency the Head of State could equate voting for the opposition to rejecting development.

‘In a multi-party democracy such as ours people should enjoy the freedom to vote for a candidate and party of their choice without being labeled as being against development. We are very disappointed that in toasting by-election victories yesterday President Sata chose to describe people who voted for the Patriotic Front (PF) candidates as having, made a clear choice against politics of hate and ill-will and having resolutely decided to vote for development,’ Fr Bwalya said.

46 COMMENTS

  1. To valid what Fr Bwalya is talking about, he needs to show that the opposition can have the majority seats in parliament come September 2016, and remember that the rules of simple majority dictate that you cannot be president with fewer MP’s in the House. At the moment i don’t seem to see this happening. Good luck Frank!

    • What part of the constitution says that “you cannot be president with fewer MP’s in the House”? Please educate us. As far as I know, in Zambia you could be president without a single MP from your party.

    • @Mwana Chinondo

      … and how do you form government/cabinet?

      Especially with our Zambian opposition in the likes of “the Blues” – who put on MEN-IN-BLACK suits and go to Plot 1 uninvited to make noise to the president for appointing their members into government or “the Under 5 party” that fires any of its members for interacting with/accepting an appointment from government?

      Easier said than done baba…

      Thanks

  2. Fr. Bwalya, I don’t think it is diffiulty to win by-elections even if the President campaign for his MPs. For example both Solwezi and Mkushi where Ba Sata worsted his precious time, the PF lost those by-elections there.

    • UPND cadres like Nostradamus still in denail and hallucinating. Now you are even dreaming up victories which you never achieved. The truth is you lost badly so deal with it. Some of you were even saying that these by-elections would be a guage for the 2016 elections, if that’s the case your will have your behinds wooped again!

    • Nostradamus – whaaat??? Eish – where did you get that example from? It is as if you are informing us that you fail to pass when an example is brought in a test even when you memorized it hundred times… iwe!!!

  3. Thank you Fr. Bwalya, you’ve hammered the point. 2016 is for Hakainde Hichilema. Why? I look at what somebody has achieved in his life. He never worked in Govt, but atleast He has something to boast. 2016 for an Economist HH

    • You people…….what has HH got? Utu ngombe four, no tuma dollars mu National Savings and Credit Bank. You call that riches? C’mon guys..lets be serious.

    • Watchman,

      Each time you or your family are eating beef in Zambia, remember that 95% is likely to be from HH’s farms. Even Sata Michael in State House, obese GBM and Kambwili know that FACT. What Frank Bwalya, HH and Nevers Mumba are saying is based in fatalities that PF wouldn’t be able to corrupt every electorate in 2016.
      You’re still lingering in the dwellings of denial it seems.

  4. The PF better be warned about its arrogance and hubris bcoz the bible says “the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong”

  5. Truly so Fr Bwalya, the PF victories are FAKE!

    Abuse of resources, facilities, personnel, radio and TV airtime. Very unfair. We need even playing-fields!

    But, what is the Oppposition doing about it? The Opposition must not be cry-babies. They must act to stop the PF rot. They must go to Court. They should seek judiciary reviews and test the Law! Ministers using jets, helicopitors, motor vehicles and all other underhand methods and nonsense, and the Opposition is watching helplessly. My foot!

    • That’s the point #Maano,It’s high time they sought the intervention of the courts on this issue.There is rampant abuse of just government resources by PF.
      Cares like mushota and Saulosi is a pity just support blindly because they use their skulls to think.

  6. And you think the PF will sit idle and watch as they are booted out of power come 2016???? power is sweet and they will do anything to cling on to that power. how many times did MMD dribble other parties back in the day??

  7. Wrong point Mr Frank Bwalya. PF has continued gaining parliamentary seats since by elections started in 2012, while the opposition has been loosing those seats they held from 2011 elections.
    Come 2016, people will vote for PF lookingat the massive developments achieved. Opposition has not achieved anything to show the people.
    After 2016 tripitite elections, PF will hold atleast 90% seats in parliament.

  8. PF is full of bull. it starts with the rotten black arshole who is an old man running the country like its his play ground and we are his chickens. sata and the rest of pf should go to helle and lick my handsome black polished bottom with care. evans mfula at evaduco reporting live from lusaka and hiding from kitwe

    • Reading what you have written proves who is an arsehole, you ofcourse so called Patriotic Farts! It is like you sat on your key board or pad and farted all over it. Even your name speaks volumes about the state of your mind; that it is full of rotten egg gases. GET A LIFE YOU PATHETIC LOSER!

  9. …what other yard stick or bench marks do opposition want..? PF’s triumph is a wake-up call, eye opener and indication that the opposition has to do something extra-ordinary to turn the tables and hope for the best.
    2016 is just around the corner, but still a distance to map out something. I have in mind some of these opposition just appearing on paper to form a formidable group they should call ‘a movement’ with the intention of turning it into a fourth major party. MMD has been smeared with corruption, UPND with regional/tribal which has proved very stubborn to erase. NAREP, ABZ,FDD, Heritage, PP, Msoni, Mpombo, Christian fimofimo for Dan Pule and a few more….when in agreement, dissolve individual parties and form one to beef up the current struggling opposition.. ,

    • Good observation there @Scrutinizerer – but alas, what I see happening is these 10 parties will come together, get into one huge quarrel about who should be Presidential Candidate and the whole thing will dissolve into at least 15 parties! Then they will go back to accusing the ruling party of rigging elections each time they lose. …finally newspapers and Field Ruwe’s writing will continue to sell their conspiratorial articles for a long time thence!

    • @ Sruitiniserer
      I’m with you on this one. The opposition parties in Zambia are too fragmented. I guess they have intepreted multi-party politics literally ie every one with their own little kantemba. Sad! For 2016 what is even more worrying is that these tuntembaz are somewhat tainted as you have mentioned, eg mmd with corruption, upnd with tribalism etc. As such the vote is invartiably split. It is common knowledge that pf has emerged victorious in recent by-elections through eletoctoral malpractice and utter abuse of state resources. People shouldn’t get deluded that pf’s gains are temporary. Come 2016, pf will still have the state machinery behind them and will win those elections. The time is now for the opposition to pull together, become formidable to take pf down. Cont’d

    • Cont’d
      Pf won in 2011 because people had become fed up of mmd and their impunity to loot state resources. People had an alternative to mmd in satan because he was relentlessly vocal and appealed to the impoverished masses and who by the way are the majority of voters. At this point we don’t seem to have a credible opposition leader that people can identify with like they identify with Satan. He has earned his stripes and now he is just harvesting. HH has money and Pastor Mumba probaly has some charisma, but the painful truth is that these attributes alone do not win an election. Some blogger has referred to this as political intelligence, ie the craft. It is time the opposition re-grouped and map out strategy to take out the evil one. Remember what happened in Zim? We too clever for…

  10. Constante! les deux: Mushota et Soulosi!
    La realite ne pas que vous panse
    Le PF est un partie ne’est si bien le people voulouns

  11. And what kind of analysis is that? What makes you (Frank) think you can become President one day with that kind of reasoning? Tell us exactly what factors led to the PF victory that will not be in their favor come 2016. My friend just go out in the country and see how Zambia is developing and you will see why people are voting for them and be ashamed of yourself.

  12. There is no viable opposition in Zambia. Simple truth and fact! Who in their right mind would want to replace the current hardworking government with these cheap clowns and hooligans Bwalya, (HH) et al?

    • Valid point #Kudos,oops I mean skeleto,If you have observed in countries where the opposition have come together and defeated the incumbent,they did so in the last year of before the elections.Why?they fear that some of the weaker parties will be bought off and intimidated by the incumbent using government resources.Don’t rule out that possibility yet in Zambia.

  13. You are talking about about State resources or where ever it comes from? Ask the MMD they are the expates in that area. You can even go down to UNIP if you are thinking about using the State Machinery. Infact PF is reducing i9n that area.

    And by way, I heard that people in a certain rural area when some evil people rumoured that Sata had died, those people said if thats what it is then we will vote for the dead body ( Nganifyo tukavotela pa chitumbi) This may sound craze but it shows you the popularity the President is enjoying

  14. PF’s perception that the chikulekule type of infrastructural development is enough to see them back come 2016 will be fully tested then not now.Well here is food for thought.

    1.Are Zambia better off now than before pf came to power?

    2.The development being sung about,is it benefiting all Zambians equally?

    3.The funds being spent on this development,does pf as party got the right to use it any how?

    4.Our president who is also pf party president is not at present in a good state of health,it’s all out there for all to see.Will the people risk voting him back.Will he manage to criss cross the country to campaign without risking his health?

    5.Finally will the pf fulfill the 90 day promises,especially the constitution.

    if 4 of the above are yes,then I can assure you PF…

  15. I expect if Father Bwalya comes into power (by some very horrible mistake), it would mean we have to go to church everyday! We will become a conservative religious group threatening other religions……! Um….um…say what does Father Bwalya’s political party stand for? AGAIN, another hapless politician telling us we need a new President without telling us what their party propose to do that is different to President Sata’s.

    I give up with these opposition…..um for want of another word,….parties!
    God Save Zambia. If they are mobilising without even a mandate……………..!!!

  16. judgement my dear its not easy for all zambians to benefit becoz we have diferent intrests. well zambia is beta of becoz we are investing in infrustructure eg ZR, NCZ, zamtel,roads, hospital & skus

  17. Judgement, PF will give us a constituition when time is right and my question for you. Are you faithfully suporting this govt? Becoz you are the Gov and it is your responsibility.

  18. Voter apathy is still rife at this moment in Zambia even here in USA. The tool to winning elections is not through only one media like the ZWD. PF has strong grassroots base, all party structures at district, provincial, ward, national are filled. But UPND or ABZ party structures only exist at the NEC level. Nashala neke party like HP, Peoples party, even Dora Chisusu party. All these structures only exist as paper parties and will not have a form govt even in 2036.

  19. I will not waste my vote on any Bemba crook in 2016. Sata, Bwalya, Mumba, Mulongoti, Chipimo et al should look elsewhere. Too much lying and cheating. We can’t spend all days listening to useless arguments and promises.

  20. Iwe @ MM2020 why do you always rush to tribalism? It is you who is a Tribalist and you are inciting others to do the same, to turn against some tribes like Bemba. You won’t manage. We don’t want foolish tribal wars in our Country like the evil Mapatizya formular in which you were encouraging the killing of innocent people. You have blood on your hands and God will judge

  21. Iwe @2020 why do you always rush to TRIBE? You are the biggest Tribalist, wanting to incite other tribes against others specifically the Bemba. You won’t achieve anything. You are evil. We don’t want stupid tribal wars in our beloved Country. Go to Congo or else where. Infact you are the people who were advocating for the evil Mapatzya formular where you killed innocent lives. Just remember you have blood on you hands

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