ZAMBIAN politicians should emulate British political leaders who graciously accept defeat and resign from their positions to avoid a culture of being perpetual and serial losers in electoral contests, says civil rights activist Brebner Changala.
Mr Changala said Zambian politicians had developed a culture of becoming veteran presidential contenders participating in every presidential election even after being rejected by the electorate.
Mr Changala told the Daily Nation that it was politically and morally unacceptable that political leaders who had been rejected by the voters in the January presidential election were already positioning themselves to contest the general elections next year.
He said some political leaders who had become serial losers in electoral contests and had not even subjected themselves to party elections to have the mandate to represent their various political parties in elections.
Mr Changala wondered why some political party leaders had been rejected by Zambians for the last six years as if such political parties did not have a pool of vibrant members who could assume leadership roles.
He said some political parties were fatigued with the same leaders who had been failing them and that Britain had provided a perfect example of democracy after the opposition Labour Party leader Ed Miliband resigned.
Mr Changala said in a democracy, there was need for political leaders to humbly and graciously accept defeat in an electoral contest while those who emerge victorious should learn to embrace the defeated.
“There is one important lesson our political leaders must learn from the British elections. When one loses an election as head of a political party, it is important to accept responsibility for the loss. What is most important however is as a defeated party leader; one must resign so that the party can have fresh elected leadership.
Do not lose an election and still hang on to the leadership of the party without seeking fresh mandate from the party members. It this country, we have developed a culture where presidents of political parties aspire to continue participating in elections even after they have been rejected by the people and they do so without subjecting themselves to intra-party democracy,” Mr Changala said.
He said it was important for opposition political party leaders to allow the emergence of a new crop of leadership that could steer their parties to better future.
He said there was no good leader without a successor and that political parties were failing to survive because their existence was anchored on personalities.
The reason why we have this serial culture of politics is because the political parties in Zambia are mostly personal, and do not belong to the citizenry; they are “Tuntembas”.
Truly public institutions do not run on the same unprincipled principles of serialisation of presidential aspirations we mostly see in Zambia.
Political parties such as UPND, UNIP, HERITAGE PARTY, FDD, to name but a few should have new visionary leadership to enrich our politics in Zambia.
Yayayayayaya if HH steps down that’s the end of Upnd. Mr changala prepare yourself for the insults you will soon hear from this ni party yanga neka family.
That indeed is a good example but let’s not forget that elections in Europe are conducted in a JUST MANNER and are usually free and fair. In Zambia it’s very difficult for one to accept defeat when most of the elections are characterized by vote buying, electrical violence, electrical intimidation, rigging and all sorts of vices!!
@ Kawa
ala wandepaula with your electrical violence and electrical intimidation.
Could be the same reason we now have perpetual or serial electrical losers
@ gen
If you are referring to “…serial electrical losers…”, the whole of PF should resign as electricity supply to the nation has gone down from 11th. September 2011
Bosi there is a big difference between UK politics and Zambia. In UK there is equal coverage and no vote buying. The playing field is usually leveled that’s why its easy to resign to give chance to others to try. Here is Zambia president are not elected out of principals. It is simply a tribal head count of how many bembas have voted for a Bemba and how many Tongas have voted for a Tonga. So the circus will continue until I don’t know. That’s why development will never come to Zambia because we cursed by Tribalism.HH would have been president if it was in UK.
Who told you that HH would have been president in UK…….what scientific formula or benchmark are you using
One of the qualities HH does not have is to smile. A good leader knows when to be serious and when to be flexible, not HH, he can be a serious dictator. Ayofya maningi.
@ Mumbuna how often have you seen pictures of a smiling Vladmir Putin, Angela Merkel, King of Saudi Arabia, Dos Santos, Paul Kagame, Kabila, and the list goes on except one Idi Amin he used to smile a lot! Thus smiling is not a serious quality. Many surgeons do not smile but perform very successful operations!
It now UPND vs PF the rest have failed. PF are deadly scared of UPND they know it. They are using their resources. I am really not sure who really won given the unequaled play ground and the state machinery.
All parties need to change UNIP-MMD-PF-UPND-?
These partyz are personal to holder how can their presidents resign. Take for instance UPND, once Hakaivotela Heka quits that would be the end of this regional grouping.
Any law contravened constitutionally by attempting as many times as one wishes? Deep inside my heart, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubts that the regular revisit of this topic is fear for HH’s improved performance after every election. This I say without fear of contradiction and welcome criticism. On the contrary, this is the last thing he can consider. The latest January 20th election’s margin spoke volumes. From a neutral point, watch that space come 2016.
Changala is talking as though he can think
Poor governance,electral malpractices, violence by so many Congolese who have green NRCs calling themselves Bembas, who have never seen peace in Congo DR,.they are in Zambia supporting PF. These are the same people occuping 99% market spaces in Zambia.
No genuine opposition leader can resign when the opposition is always taunted and killed by these Congolese who know nothing but bloodshed,they are here in Lusaka,Kabwe, and CB majority have taken up Zambian names,the speak fluent Bemba. Zambia cannot be compared to GB. Zambia is down trodden by corruption and violence. No sensible leader can resign when votes had been stolen. This Changala and others seem to be Congolese turned bembas.
If Brig. Gen. Miyanda resigns, who will be the member of his party? because he is alone.
Its unbelievable that people can be compering election in zambia and UK.all those saying that the opposition leaders should resign are hired guns with un agenda to weaken the opposition so that they continue eating with both hands un checked, zambians open your eyes.
“UPND is me and Iam UPND,why cant I be the president and Sata my vice?I will be the last tonga standing ” How do you expect UPND to have a new leader with these kind of satements from HH??
Ka HH should resign,enough is enough.Even in Grade 7 if a child fails 4 times,parents recommend such a child to just stop school.The boy is an embarassment.How can a nomal person continue contesting elections after losing 4 times
Ka HH is a spoiled child and should resign immediately, enough is enough.Even in Grade 7 if a child fails 4 times,parents recommend such a child to just stop school.The boy is an embarassment.How can a nomal person continue contesting elections after losing 4 times
Mr. Changala, I will support your call only if and when judiciary, police, parliament, civil society and “human rights activists” like yourself reach the level of REAL accountability as their counterparts in UK.
Until then, you are comparing taste of banana to cherry. Please be logical, objective and truthful when you make pronouncement, otherwise you may sound either “bitter” or “partisan”.
As to the aspiring presidential candidate “duty” to resign, with all due respect, that is not within your prerogative as “human rights activist” but is up to the members of the specific party to take decision.