FORUM for Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi says that this year’s election should not be based on how rich some candidates are but about ideas and how leaders will help improve people’s living standards.
Speaking when she featured on Sun FM radio in Ndola on Thursday, Ms Nawakwi said there were some candidates that felt they had already won the general elections, adding that pulling large crowds at rallies was not a guarantee of victory.
She further appealed to other political players to prepare their members for the outcome of the elections.
“In a time like this when we are canvassing for votes everyone has a catch phrase and when the people give them the mandate they go underground saying that’s not what we promised you. Others are saying we will fix it, we will fix the economy but there is no specific discussion for what can be done for our brothers and sisters.
“This election should be about ideas and not who is mighty with money and violent. If crowds were everything, late Anderson Mazoka would have won when he stood. There are those of us in the race who feel they have won the race and I want to remind them of what happened in 2008 when late President Sata declared that he had won and would not accept defeat, violence erupted in Marapodi township.
“How you prepare your people for the outcome is important and I get concerned with some of our leaders who have made pronouncements that they will not accept the results,” she said.
Ms Nawakwi, who was accompanied by People’s Party president Mike Mulongoti, said it was wrong for some parties to assume that they had won elections and others must accept that.
She further explained that the misconception that she was attacking the United Party for National Development (UPND) was incorrect but stated that the party had been violent towards the FDD.
“I have repeatedly said that UPND has been very violent towards FDD, I have nothing against individuals but as a mother who knows the pain of giving birth, I have everything against someone who wants to shed blood.
“We cannot run a campaign based on violence and I don’t want to be a part of post-election violence. I know the pain of having to nurse a child in hospital and you want me to sit back and watch violence,” she said.
She called on political leaders to respect each other because they were all equal and urged people to commit their leaders in God’s hands.
Million dollar bet that Nawakwi will side with PF if there is a run off. The rumors are true.
Mama I have lost respect since I first heard you are eating from the same pot with the PF.
Anyway you can go join them….just give us the young man Antonio, he is the only sensible person in your party.
THAT WOULD BE JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO. PF AND LUNGU ARE THE ONLY GROUP THAT MAKE SENSE IN ZAMBIA’S POLITICS AS AT NOW. PF HAVE REALLY WORKED AND THEIR DEEDS ARE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. THEIR WORKS ARE NOT CODED IN ACADEMIC FIGURES, OR WRITTEN LONG SPEECHES BUT IN PHYSICAL PROJECTS SUCH AS ROADS, HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, BRIDGES, UNIVERSITIES AND MANY MORE FINISHED AND STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. TELLING PEOPLE THAT, “I WILL FIX IT”, IS HAVING LIKE A MAD PERSON WITH A FISHING ROAD TRYING TO CATCH FISH FROM THE ROAD THINKING IT’S A RIVER. THAT IS THE BEHAVIOUR OF HH. AND HH LIKES THE WORD, “I”. PF AND LUNGU ALWAYS SAY, “WE”.
Some candidates are self-made millionaires, unlike Edgar Lungu is more rich than hardworking Nawakwi within 1 year.
2 Years ago, Edgar couldn’t even go to barbershop, his cur hair with a scissors under a tree in Chawama, today he is even able to fund Nawakwi to attack the self-made millionaires HH & GBM.
Edith can you eat alone in peace please. We are not eating with you so stop making noise drip drip drip like a leaking roof
Agony is to be poor and have no ideas or vision. Nawakwi, you seem to be in the PF camp, just come out in the open and show your pf symbol.
Edith as MMD finance minister was involved in a multi million dollar Carrington maize scandal, have you already squandered your share to start claiming to be poor.With abusolutely no controls and accountability at our ministry of finance even during your time tell us how you managed to come out poor.Stop being jearous of those who have managed their affairs better than you.
Edith,
Inama ifwa ku mushi, mumpanga tuya mukusenda fye. My kid sister, this is called positive thinking. Every vionary sees the outcome of their idea before they act. In other words it is FORWARD looking. If you doubted the results of what you ae doing guess what, you will only succeed half the time. This is a socially tested concept.
By the way, why are you piping about HH? Your opponent is Lungu. What do you gain from HH’s loss?
Nawakwi, you used to talk sense in the past, now you sound like you have morphed into a pf cadre. Have you noticed that the party or more specifically, the president of the party you are incessantly attacking never ever mentions you. You sound like you have developed a grudge, perhaps from being ignored. You are feeding the rumors that you are working with the PF.
Navajo. You are now running out of ideas.
We thought you are a good woman, but we have seen who you are of recent . If you are tired of politics just stop mama. You will loose nothing instead of concentrating on your party build up you are busy talking about other parties.
When are you going to win yourself. If you no you have great ideas y don’t you win yourself these election. Please HIDE YOUR IGNORANCE TO THE PUBLIC . DEAL WITH YOUR PARTY PROBLEMS.
If you have nothing to convince Zambia people just keep quiet.
Shame on you Nawakwi . We respected you but now we have lost hope
Sorry the first sentence should read Nawakwi you are running out of ideas.
Thanks
talking sense edith, we shall vote for you
Only opposition person who talks sense and hates violence. EN please continue like this and you have my vote in 2021 but for now it’s ecl
Nawakwi has a better brain that those who claim to be rich, last year farming season she assisted over 90, 000 farmers with inputs, this coming season she is aiming for 320, 000 farmers. Where are those who claim to be rich ? What have they done to the poor ?
From where money come from? She must be either rich or have stash funds? Which one?
That’s the money Nawakwi stole from the Carlington Maize scandal when she was Finance Minister and she is now using it in dribs to fund the election campaigns.
Other self made millionaires have never worked in Govt so we cant blame them for misusing public funds.
At least she is giving back to the community unlike hh who stole privatisation cash and can’t plough back to the community. HH is evil
2021 Edith will be president.
There was a time when I thought my alternative leader can be Nawaki now the way she has been coming out of late is very worrisome. She has just lost it!
@ Zenj
Nawakwi does not claim to be rich like other do but she is doing so much for the poor farmer
Of course she is NOT rich BUT she stole QUITE a lot of public funds in the Carlington Maize scandal – EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!!
She is also rich. More so I have never heard HH claiming to be rich. May be I have missed that.
Yes you missed it
Edith Nawakwi wants Lungu to win then she will be a given a job. Edith doesn’t want HH & UPND to win this election becoz she will be out of a job. According Edith the real enemy is not Lungu and PF but HH & UPND even though they are not in govt. FDD and PF will disband after 11th August becoz we are going to vote for HH & UPND in large numbers and shame both Lungu and Nawakwi. Forward with HH,GBM & UPND.
It’s good that Zambians have seen Edith’s strategy in this election. We know what to do on August 11. Nobody has ever said that elections are about rich people. She is having that discussion alone in her head. She is the one thinking of how to become rich from this election and she is projecting her thoughts on all of us.
This woman has become nothing but a paid PF cader.
The start was good for this woman but her finishing is worrying me. I advise her to continue talking about issues and not attacking fellow opposition leaders. Where did she get the money she are using for her campaigns if she is not rich? Madam you are fast degenerating into an empty tin.
Every time you open that your mouth I sense incredible sense. I honestly think that had it not been for the tribal voting in SP, you could have been rising over crooked HH. Besides, that graduate who speaks for you some times has a big mouth. Tell him to tame it and your term in 2021 is surely nigh.
EASTERN PROVINCE LET US FOLLOW THE VOTING PATTERN OF SOUTHERN PROVINCE
It seems Edith Nawakwi was given money to decampaign HH,GBM & UPND by Lungu in return for a plum job under the PF govt . Edith sees nothing wrong with Lungu and his PF govt and would like to join the PF gravy train. Edith is praying had for Lungu to win these elections. Well if wishes were horses we would all ride. Lungu and PF will lose these elections no matter how much rigging they do. Forward with HH,GBM and Team UPND.
People say hh is rich. But I never head him saying hr is rich. What happened with nawakwi
@Nyuwe: You speak a lot of sense in that one sentence than Ms Nawakwi has done in that whole interview.
And as youth following these campaigns from the candidates how possible is it that I will vote for a candidate who seems to tell me that it is wrong to aspire to be rich? Why are you even running for president if all you are going to tell us is there is something wrong and undesirable about those who succeed in life? There is a reason why HH and GBM are attracting attention from citizens and it is because we aspire to be where they have reached having come from nothing.
Edith get a life why are you so bent on HH tell us what you will do for Zambia
You had your time as Finance Minister and you did not run the ministry well HH is s good business man and will run the economy he does not discuss you so please get a life
Wasosa mayo. You have a bright future and all these haters insulting you will live to regret.
…….” this year’s election should not be based on how rich some candidates are but about ideas and how leaders will help improve people’s living standards.”
I am beginning to like this lady, although she has no chance to win,I believe there some leadership quality in her.
Look, the above statement should not be understood to harm HH, its the other way round, in stead it supports HH. If HH is calling for vision, about debates, this is all presented in above statement. So I dont understand why UPND are tying Nawaki to PF. We want leader to explain how they improve lives of ordinary Zambians, I don`t care whether its UPND, PF , the above statement holds.
this woman is no longer relevant to be an opposition leader. She is a PF cadre. she knows she can not win but hoping for a second rerun to support Chakolwa Jameson and Zambian Idi Amin
ECL is like a man appointed leader of a reasonably functioning co-operative. He takes over after death of a beloved chairman. He then throws caution to the wind and goes on a borrowing and looting spree. He becomes overly rich in one year. He burdens co-op members with debilitating local and foreign debt for multiple generations of future co-op members to come.
Then come election time. This same man who has destroyed the co-op stands up and shouts Sontapo epo wabomba. He shamelessly struts around pointing at the defective projects “he” achieved but withholds critical data that: every Sontapo is from borrowed funds and that epoabombelapo is the theft of co-op cash. And so is the evil of the Chawama lutuku presido.
This Beach again?
Nawakwi I had so much respect for you as you are the only female presidential candidate but since you have become a pf cadre namisula Mayo mulefwaya fye akalilo, you are not with the majority who are suffering. It seems you are very jealous of HH. jealous people don’t prosper, God hates jealousy people you have cursed yourself mama.
PF and Lungu can point at what they have done! They are high achievers. Given another 5 years, they will transform Zambia and its landscape! God bless ’em!
Nawakwi is scared of HH and is always talking against him. She must be reminded that it PF in power and should fight PF. She must be told that she is opposition to the ruling party not UPND. Thanx Madam for showing the nation who you are.
Mama, one day you will rule Zambia. I have followed your contributions in the Zambia politics and i believe you have wisdom and you deserve a vote. Just keep your cool.Just be smart never talk of anything that involves violence or insults, mama, articulate issues.
Mama 2021 you have my vote 11/08/16 ni sontapofye tiyenayo boat.
Nipali mayofye