Friday, March 29, 2024

Grand Coalition Challenged clearly state who they want the Zambian people to vote for

Share

Grand Coalition
Grand Coalition

A GOVERNANCE activist David Kapoma has challenged the Grand Coalition to tell the nation the source of its funds it will use to campaign against the Patriotic Front (PF) and MMD on allegations the two parties have betrayed Zambians on the constitution making process.

Mr Kapoma said conducting countrywide campaigns is a very expensive undertaking which requires serious injection of resources both human and financial.

He said the Grand Coalition should, therefore, tell the Zambian people who will give them the money to conduct this serious undertaking and what the funders will benefit from the exercise.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka, Mr Kapoma said the Grand Coalition should clearly state who it wants the Zambian people to vote for in the 2016 general elections.

“Since they are saying people should not vote for the PF and the MMD, it means they have someone in mind that they want the people to vote for and I challenge them to tell us who that person is so that we can tell them in their faces that they are taking sides and not doing their job,” he said

Mr Kapoma who said the Grand Coalition was formed to speak for the voiceless wondered which people it is representing when the majority of Zambians are happy that about 80 percent of the constitution has been passed.

He also said Zambians are happy about Government’s constitution-making process and parliament’s subsequent passing of some of the contentious clauses.

“Now that most Zambians are happy with the outcome of parliament regarding this process, the Grand Coalition should tell the Zambian people who they are representing,” he said.

Meanwhile, the PF and MMD have said the grand coalition should come out in the open and form a political movement which will actively participate in the elections rather than hiding in the name of Civil Society Organisations.

“Since they are saying people should not vote for the PF and the MMD, it means they have someone in mind that they want the people to vote for and I challenge them to tell us who that person is so that we can tell them in their faces that they are taking sides and not doing their job,” he said

PF Secretary General Davies Chama said the Grand Coalition is disappointed that what it suspected the PF would do has not happened hence its (Grand Coalition) threats.

“The bill that has been passed is representative of the peoples aspirations which the grand coalition was party to so why are they upset,” he said.

And MMD Spokesperson Raphael Nakachinda said the Grand Coalition needs to join the rest of the country in celebrating the passing of the bill in parliament which he described as progressive.

“I am not saying this because we are in league with the PF because we are not. We should all be happy that at least about 80 percent of what Zambian have been crying for has been passed,” Mr Nakachinda said.

Last week the Grand Coalition announced that it will campaign against the PF in next year’s elections for allegedly refusing to respect the wishes of the Zambian people over the enactment of the new republican constitution.

Among new clauses that have cheered many stakeholders are those on the running-mate, 50 percent plus one presidential winning threshold and dual citizenship.

Meanwhile, PF chairperson for information Father Frank Bwalya says President Lungu should be praised for assuring Zambians that he is ready to assent to the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill.

He has also said that the 50 percent plus one vote threshold has scared the United Party for National Development (UPND).

Fr Bwalya said President Lungu’s goodwill to give Zambians the constitution they want is an indication that PF is not afraid to go to the 2016 general election under the 50 percent plus one winning threshold.

“It is UPND that is insecure and these other political parties are small while other political parties have supported the 50 plus one, and as PF we explained the disadvantages of this mode but this is what the people want we have done what they want,” Fr Bwalya said.
Fr Bwalya said this on a special live programme on KNC Radio in Kabwe on Wednesday .

11 COMMENTS

  1. Mr. Kapoma, please disclose your source of income or for that matter, ask members of Chikwanda, Sata and Sampa families for the source of funds they have invested in real estate in South Africa, or Hon. Kambwili source of funds for his “financial development and, just where you are ther, from where Mrs. Lungu is drawing her “donations” and the cost of her criss-crossing Zambia on PF electioneering duties and who is paying for it?
    Governance activist? My foot. More likely PF government activist!!!

  2. How does FODEP work with HH who is undemocratic? If anything FODEP should condemn both PF and UPND if they believ in constituition. PF won without you and it will win by far without you?

  3. GRAND COALITION IS A USELESS BODY LIKE A CHICKEN THAT CAN NOT SEE WHERE IT IS GOING. LET IT FORM A PARTY AND BE WHITEWASHED BY PF

  4. Grand Larceny and Mischief for sure. Although I don’t like Mugabe, he would have banned the GC money grabbing organisation including the divisive Post.
    As numerous observers have noted the GC only represent their paymasters. Sata used to warn these foreign busybodies about not interfering in our affairs. For instance do we in Zambia go about telling America how they mistreat Black Americans etc.
    Let the so-called Grand Coalition go and jump in Lake Kariba

  5. The grand coalition has been clear from the beginning that what they want is a people driven constitution. Don’t distract us by talking about where the money is coming from. These PF cadres forget to mention ati the document they are now happy with is similar to the one MMD wanted to give us and the PF rejected it. The PF has mow shifted position and they want everyone to shift as well to the MMD position. It’s clearly ridiculous but then their supporters have amnesia or just lack principles. And the majority of citizens are illiterates so it’s possible they are happy with a document they haven’t read.

  6. Why not pass 100% Draft into the New Constitution because that is what the Zambians wants. Any alteration to the Draft into the New Zambia Constitution does not represent peoples’ wishes, i.e. not Peoples Driven Constitution, but Parliament Driven Constitution. The parliament should adopted 100% Draft into Constitution, that will save money, that will stop fights between parties, LAZ, Grand Coalition, that will stop PF from putting want it wants. The Draft was born out of cry and pain of peoples hearts, now parliament wants to give us want it wants. The crooks are now blaming LAZ, Grand Coalition, HH and the Church for their failure to deliver total peoples driven Constitution by adopting the Draft into Constitution without extra cost.

  7. The bad article is where public officers such as politicians will not be accoutable to any abuse of office and misapplication of funds but only state officers must be held accountable.
    It means no matter what a pupation steals will never be arrested only civil servants.
    Why should we have two different laws for the same case?
    Then you call this a good law.

  8. Grand Coalition and other genuine NGOs should focus on educating Zambians about (1) rights (2) advantages of separation of powers, (3) role of ministers (4) role of members of Parliament (5) why ministers rarely speak in Parliament (6) role of president (7) role of opposition parties, (8) every person in Zambia whether on opposition, in PF or outside active politics PAY TAX and voting for opposition should not lead to being denied development. This may help Zambians to vote wisely. Siding with a particular opposition party makes the State to shiver and could lead them to take desperate measures against the opposition.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading