SCOTTISH National Party (SNP) Glasgow North Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Grady has praised Zambia for peaceful atmosphere since independence some five decades ago.
Mr Grady said at Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) and SNP leadership interaction workshop on party mobilisation and poll management held at VNT lodge in Chipata yesterday that he was happy that since independence, Zambia has proven to be peaceful country.
“The good thing is that Zambia is peaceful since its independence on that part I am really happy,” he said.
Mr Grady who is also a member of House of Commons at SNP Westminster said politics of name calling and hate speech cannot win someone a vote in an election.
He said his party in Scotland managed to win 54 seats from six MPs because of engaging into constructive politics as well as following the party manifesto.
“Do not engage into personal attacks, name calling and criticism which such politicians cannot win votes but it is better to tell the people what we are going to do for them using party manifesto,” Mr Grady who is also SNP national secretary said.
Speaking earlier FDD president Edith Nawakwi said SNP was the governing party in Scotland and the third largest party in the United Kingdom.
Ms Nawakwi said SNP and FDD partnered in 2007 with the aim of exchanging visits that wo0uld enhanced the relationship between the two political parties.
“Originally the cooperation was anchored on capacity building of the FDD provincial leadership in various mobilisation and fundraising techniques,” she said.
She said FDD was a peaceful and matured opposition political party in the country so far.
Ms Nawakwi said her cadres would not be allowed to engage into political violence stating that her party was growing because of its peacefulness.
She said her party would continue promoting decentralisation so that when it forms government it could not labour in channelling developments to local people.
“FDD is become of peace and we shall not engage into political violence like other political parties are doing. I am a mother and I don’t want to see people fighting in my party or any other political party because it pains me,”Ms Nawakwi said.
She told the party structures that her party would continue advocating about peace ahead of the general elections.
She said the reports going round that she would be a running mate to someone were untrue because she was also looking for a running mate.
And FDD National Chairperson Women and Gender Angelica Rumsey and FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said it was sad that some political parties were receiving rejects including engaging into political violence.
Ms Rumsey said Zambians should rise up and vote for Ms Nawakwi in the general elections.
The Scottish MP is accompanied by Head of Programme smaller parties office of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy Adele Poskitt and Moraig Henderson also from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy while Ms Nawakwi is accompanied by FDD National Chairperson Portiphar Chungu.
Musende scott pakuya bane twapapata