United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General Winston Chibwe has refuted media reports that confusion has erupted among party officials in Mwembeshi constituency in Mumbwa district over tribal remarks attributed to two constituency officials in the area.
Speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today Mr Chibwe denied media allegations that wrangles have issued between area Member of Parliament (MP) Edward Kasoko and some two senior party officials.
The two senior party officials who have allegedly differed with Mr Kasoko are Mumbwa UPND District Chairman Ekrol Mungo and Mwembeshi constituency chairman Abel Makala,.
Mr Mungo and a Mr Makala have been accused of campaigning for Harrison Mukupa, a Lusaka businessman for the position of area MP in next year’s elections.
Mr Chibwe said though he has not officially received information over the matter, it was not true that there was a misunderstanding among the top three UPND officials in the constituency.
He also denied media reports that Mr Mungo and Mr Makala issued tribal remarks that Mwembeshi was not a go area for certain tribes.
And UPND cadres who declined to be named for fear of victimization have called on their leadership to immediately convene a meeting to resolve the wrangles that have erupted in Mwembeshi Coonstituency.
[ ZANIS ]
These are typical MMD sponsored divisions meant to undermine the spreading UPND influence in the area. MMD seems to be thriving on causing tribal divisions and yet pretend to be a national party. It’s the same MMD who used their sarogate party ULP to issue tribal statements in the run up to the Luena elections just to discourage people from voting UPND. MMD should be careful with such tactics because they have potential to create a Rwanda out of a peaceful Zambia.
UPND WENT WITH MAZOKA MULWILA CHISANGA CHILENGI, SICHINGA KAHENYA ABASHALA NIBANGWELA. UPND UNDER HH AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PF IS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY THATS WHY MEMBE TELLS SATA TO SALAPUKA WECHIPUBA ISUKA MUTWE DONT WASTE TIME WITH THIS FINISHED PARTY
The problem with most Zambians is that we have the memory of a friut fly when it comes to politics. UPND under Mazoka was operating in a different political environment. The party was seen as a forum to challenge the bemba dominancy through MMD. FTJ realised this and deliberately sponsored Mwanawasa, a Lenje, in order to weaken UPND. Since the Easterns backed either Christon Tembo’ FDD or UNIP, MMD was able to use the Northern vote(Luapula, C/B and N/P) plus central to win the elections in 2001. The current UPND can not rely on such factors to woo voters, they need a differnt strategy.
Upnd under Mazoka was run like pf where him Mazoka use to mobilise and fund the party, which is not the case with HH. Even lazy people use to enjoy because Mazoka use to do everything. It was run like PF where everything is vested in one person. Upnd under is different where he wants everyperson to take responsibility or take part in party affairs.