Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Zambians made a clear choice, give PF a chance to exercise their mandate-Nawakwi

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FDD president Edith Nawakwi
FDD president Edith Nawakwi

FDD president Edith Nawakwi says Zambians made a clear choice in the last election and there is need for the PF to be given a chance to exercise their authority.

And Nawakwi says she took a break from politics in order to reflect on the divisions which the party was facing.

Meanwhile, Nawakwi has reconciled with her vice-president Chifumu Banda and others who were calling from her removal from the helm of the party.

At a media briefing at the FDD secretariat today, Nawakwi said Zambians made a clear choice in the 2016 elections.

“When you say the nation has missed me, I have also missed the nation and I thought when we went to the polls in 2016, the nation actually put out a clear choice and we need to allow our friends to exercise their authority and see where they are taking us,” Nawakwi said.

And Nawakwi said she took time off politics to reflect on the wrangles which her party was facing.

“Even in the Bible it is clear that there must be a time for reconciliation and time for meditation. I have been on the political scene since 1990. Every year, 360 days commenting on issues, I thought while the party was more or less trying to find it’s balance, I should not be the face of the party and cement the idea that the party was just about one individual. I think where we are now, it is a very clear indication that intra party democracy in FDD is what propels the party.

“Yes, there are national issues but parliament is there, they have been commenting, you have been writing. If you talk about fire tenders, I will remind you that all that needed to be said was said two years ago. The only challenge is what I said in 2001 that us Zambians have a very short attention span, you leave one person to pursue an idea and that person becomes a bad person,” she said.

“I think it is a very healthy arrangement that I withdrew, it is not because I couldn’t say anything but I wanted the party to have other faces.”

“To date, an impression was created that I want to amend the constitution, but I want to tell you that to amend the party constitution you need two thirds majority…it is unfortunate that the world feels that they have lost my voice but you my comrade, when I was being told that I want to change the constitution, you didn’t stand up for me and say ‘we need her voice in this scenario’, I thought the press also agreed with that position that maybe it was time for my reflection to happen but there are many issues which we need to get together and it is this getting together that is very important because when we issue statements, you will know that these are FDD statements, not Mr [Antonio] Mwanza’s statements, not the chairman’s statements, not Edith Nawakwi’s statements. We want to have a spirit of togetherness so that when statements are coming, they are interrogated, they are well researched.”

FDD president Edith Nawakwi
FDD president Edith Nawakwi

Meanwhile, Nawkawi reunited with Banda whom she sidelined in the 2016 elections, opting for a political novice, Reverend Clement Mwanza from the Reformed Church of Zambia, as her running mate.

On March 22, Banda launched a ‘Save FDD’ campaign; demanding for a party convention to elect a new leader saying it was unconstitutional for Nawakwi to cling to the party presidency.

“The FDD party last held a convention in 2005. According to its Constitution, FDD is supposed to hold a convention every five years. As such the next convention could have taken place in 2010, but this did not happen.”

“The explanation which was furnished to the general membership for the failure was the National Policy Committee had failed to raise funds for the event. Later on 2015 presented another lawful occasion for holding a convention.”

“Again, the convention was not held and the opportunity was equally missed. The party secretariat explained off this failure by arguing that since the nation was going to the general elections the following year, change of leadership could have disadvantaged the party in the polls. For this same reason, it was accordingly announced that the convention would instead be held in February 2017 after the said general elections,” said Banda despite being expelled from the party a month earlier.

But Nawakwi announced that they had reconciled and she had welcomed him back to the FDD as her vice-president,

“We believe that genuine dialogue is a path to unity of purpose. It is for this reason that after serious reflection through an open and honest process of dialogue, we have today decided to offer a general amnesty to all those party officials whom we had expelled. Together, we are strong, divided, we diminish…at this point in time, allow me to welcome back honorable Chifumu Banda as the vice-president for the Forum for Democracy and Development,” said Nawakwi.

And Banda said the leadership had risen above their differences for the love of the party.

“In every family, there will be feuds. There is bound to be conflict and sometimes injury caused to one another. What is important in the life of every political party and in our lives as human beings is the ability to rise above these problems.”

“Today the FDD is demonstrating how good the leadership of FDD is because this is the first in the country where a political party that was besieged with misunderstandings for one reason or another, the leadership has risen above those. I wish to tell you madam president that the discussions we had were candid, we were open to one another, all because all of us have love for this party called FDD,” said Banda

64 COMMENTS

  1. Zambians made unwise choice.PF’s economy has stagnated,debt is up sharply ,corrupt tenderprenuership is the rule,Lusaka is chaotic & dirty and farmers don’t get paid on time.Oh ,and those Russian jets to restart Zambia Airways is a bad choice too.

    • Sister you can say that again. There are things you can’t regret but only participate in constructive participate Instead with a sincere spirit of helping those with a ruling mandate to realign for the common good. Democracy is not all about being eccentric spewing hatred and funding kitchen sink conspiracy theories around the clock. We long for a mature opposition that will keep the administration at work by engaging in mature issues based politicking.

    • I mean they are things you can’t regret but participate in constructive criticism instead to help arrest what is wrong. Right now, PF with a number of oversights is enjoying a free ride because our nascent democracy has long lost effective mature opposition.Unfortunately, strong oppositions died with Mazoka and went into power with Sata. We have a vacuum in the opposition party system in Zambia. What we have are either hate Groupthinks of conspiracy theorists or outfits of imperial projects. It’s about time authentic youths stepped forward to offer checks and balances.

    • I like how Nawakwi is consistent in being irrelevant. Now she has crawled out of self-imposed political hibernation hungry and in dear need for acceptance to utter her support for corrupt inapt PF. I’m glad she is not in any leadership. Her party disowned her but like ECL she is imposing herself.

    • Silly woman, u have eyes but you can’t see, you have brains but you refuse to use them to make a fair and objective assessment of the situation at hand, pure cowardliness, no wonder yr party keeps going down hill!!

      Even the young man Antonio is more objective and sensible than this sell out finished fossil of a politician! No wonder Chifumu Banda and team wanted her out-FDD is speedily heading backwards with this woman at the helm!

    • @senior citizen is really wise, very few Zambians know that the current opposition is just a group of theorists with different agendas. some joined the group because of either tribe or region,some are after government contracts eg gbm, kambwili,mulongoti. some are frustrated and decided to join for the sake of removing ecl eg scoot, mule sata ( tufilile munsenga), while others want to the imperials to take over the Zambian economy eg hh, obasanjo, milupi,Anglo.some are just lunatics who think they are King makers eg membe and of course the chimbwi no plan.the group is an experiment where you are asked to mix water,sand,oil,sugar etc.

    • After taking a break to reflect and all she could come up is this fatuous statement that PF/lungu is OKAY? She has forgotten Zambians didn’t vote for PF. PF stole the elections!

    • SHE IS RIGHT ABOUT PF BUT THE TRIBALISTS AND RATIONALISTS WILL NOT LISTEN OF COURSE.
      HOWEVER NAWAKWI SHOULD BE FOCUSSED. SHE SOMETIMES SEEMS TO RAMBLE AND BE ALL OVER THE MAP.
      SHE MEANS WELL UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE

    • I hope she has been misquoted by LT. Compare this statement with those of her secretary general Antonio Mwanza, it is as if they live on different planets. Mwanza makes more sense than this woman. The people she is talking about gave that mandate to the opposition but that mandate was stolen in broad daylight by “bandits” led by chief bandit EL. EL will steal anything, just look at his track record it speaks for himself. And this is the man his trying to defend, shame on you Nawakwi.

    • I h.o.p.e. she has been misquoted by L.T. Compare this statement with those of her secretary general Anto.nio Mwa.nza, it is as if they live on different planets. Mwa.nza makes more sense than this woman. The people she is talking about gave that mandate to the opposition but that mandate was sto.len in broad daylight by “band.its” led by chief band.it E.L. E.L will ste.al anything, just look at his track record it speaks for himself. And this is the man his trying to defend, sha.me on you Nawa.kwi.

  2. I love nawakwi coz shez owaz objective in her analysis. sometimes she’ll crtisize positively and sometimes negatively. She is definitely presidential material. U can’t please everyone no matter how good you are. It’s just that in Zambia there’s too much of pull him/her down. However if God has predestined it u will rule z.

  3. Welcome back Mr vice president Chifumu Banda. So what about the missed conventions of FDD, forgotten “in the spirit” of reconciliation? Or is it suddenly constitutional to ignore conventions in FDD?

    • Nawakwi has craftily corrupted Anthonio [the farm worker] and finished Chifumu Kingdom Banda + “Dr” Mwelwa + Mutayachalo who have proved to be TADPOLES in politics.
      Nawakwi congrats for being the best student of the most corrupt political engineer CHILUBA WA CONGO your Man-friend

    • Ooh two thirds to change and/or to amend the FDD Constitution! Is now eligible or not? This is the question she + the Tadpoles have been running away from in the absence of Convention period!
      Reconciliation begins with first acknowledging and accepting the truth on how dirty and sinful you are as per the Bible you keep referring to you hypocrite. Bwalya Ng’andu and Musenda Simuyemba raised serious Constitutional issues which these criminals have chosen to avoid in the so called and stage managed RECONCILIATION. Continue using FDD as a kantemba and drop crumbs to the impoverished and unsuspecting members whilst you retain the bigger chunk for yourself + your lawyer Chifumu Banda [NO WONDER YOU KEEP INSULTING HIM IN PUBLIC]

  4. Sillly woman, u have eyes but you can’t see, you have brains but you refuse to use them to make a fair and objective assessment of the situation at hand, pure cowardliness, no wonder yr party keeps going down hill!!

    Even the young man Antonio is more objective and sensible than this sell out finished fossil of a politician! No wonder Chifumu Banda and team wanted her out-FDD is speedily heading backwards with this woman at the helm!

  5. And that boy with Ms Nawakwi, Antonio Mwanza, he is so quiet after suffering the embarrassing apologies at Parliament … ………..kikikikikiki..
    Is he still FDD spokesperson?

  6. What is the difference between positive and negative criticism? Would Nawakwi have said Zambians made a clear choice in 2016 elections if Zambians had not loudly rejected her as they have constantly done and she had been in HH’s position? You come last in a 100 metres race and you want to join in an argument of the 2 front runners? Shut up and sit down!!!

  7. Kudos Madame nawakwi and chifumu banda. If Lungu had brains, he could have reconciled with Dr kambwili. Look at what has befallen Pf now. Nawakwi is still a bug factor in Zambian politics. She left the stage to chifumu banda, an old form five failure so called lawyer and he failed big time to make any meaningful impact. Lesson, don’t wear shoes you can’t fit. In her one year absence, chifumu banda failed to fit in and has no choice but to reconcile with nawakwi. But it’s too late for FDD other party’s such as NDC have taken their place.

    • At least the two Kaluba Musenda Simuyemba [Deputy Secretary General] & Bwalya Ng’andu [Chairperson for the Differently Abled Persons] have demonstrated that their men who can stand on principle; we SALUTE YOU TWO GUYS! No wonder they are no where this fake reconciliations.

  8. What “clear choice” did Zambians make?

    The truth is their voice WAS NOT HEARD! PF STOLE the election and are now looting the country because of dull compliant people like Nawakwi that are selling our freedom and democracy for a few coins.

    Either she has no shame or she is not smart enough to see where these thieves are taking our beloved country. Legitimizing rigging and corruption will destroy our children’s future. If she cannot see that FED is finished.

  9. SHE IS RIGHT ABOUT PF BUT THE TRIBALISTS AND REGIONALISTS WILL NOT LISTEN OF COURSE.
    HOWEVER NAWAKWI SHOULD BE FOCUSSED. SHE SOMETIMES SEEMS TO RAMBLE AND BE ALL OVER THE MAP.
    SHE MEANS WELL UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE

  10. It’s Best she goes back in to hiding than come to talk nonsense, she has only reconciled with Banda her Vice President because his team won the case in the high court he will be foolish to trust her they in FDD should get read of this bitch.

  11. Welcome back madam. We really missed a constructive politician like you, to do check and balance with a sober mind. Continue from where you left… Others politicians kuwayawayafye.

  12. U had your time leave ecl alone…Welcome from maternity leave…get pregnant again and go on leave Shaaa wait for 2026 to get another 1% of national vote

  13. She is back again…has the payment they gave her during the election campaign finished? I wonder when these Opposition Parties ever go for Party Conventions

  14. Sister Nawakwi you are lost, which Zambians gave the mandate to PF???
    PF rigged, chances to legitimize the sham election were terribly peed on by the constitutional court or con judges.”what a coincidence”
    yes there is a time for everything, but how does reconciliation take place when the offender or perpetrator is aggressively intimidating the offended through cadre police and kangaroo court cases, Lungu stole the presidency thats the most critical fact.

  15. The PF under Edgar Lungu is a failed movement. It was supposed to put the previously disadvantaged first, but here it is putting the elite first.

  16. Zambians made a conscious choice?really after one year that’s all she can come up with..am sure the Toyota hiluxes she got from state house need service

  17. She is just a lazy woman. While she was reflecting, did she find out why FDD MP candidates got a combined vote of 75,000 while she got a paltry 25,000? Did she find where 50,000 of her votes were dumped or burried. Did she find out why we had 85,000 invalid or rejected ballots?

  18. Nawakwi is a lost cause, i feel sorry for her.she’s has lost appeal. Shes lost touch with reality. She doesn’t know if she’s coming or going.
    But it’s her fault that’s what happens when you trade with the devil.
    Nawakwi danced with the devil in Jonathan during last elections and got a few coins of silver which has cost her dearly…

  19. you hate hh too much that you dont want to say anything good about him. too bad for you what you see in pf can only be seen by you alone.

  20. Whatever Edith says, fact is she has exhausted her mandate as FDD leader and is abrogating the party constitution to remain in power. THIS IS AN INSULT TO DEMOCRACY. Nothing that she says to support the PF and the government will change that. The wamuyayaya syndrome was left in 1991 with UNIP. I curse it’s return to our politics, EDITH NAWAKWI HAS TO STEP ASIDE THE UPCOMING POLITICIANS TAKE THE MANTLE!!!

    • Fun how someone who didn’t even finish the marathon race, throws herself in an argument between two frontrunners about who finished first, thats total madness.

  21. Better to shut up than make herself a fool. We all know her performance in all elections. She’s bitter with HH coz of the failed UDA alliance where despite having fewer MPs than HH she still wanted to be alliance leader. Unfortunately for her, people chose HH & that’s were her dislike for HH started from

  22. Is she not the woman who wore black on Election day mourning about the end of democracy? Madam we have watched your video in which you were lamenting. What has changed? Is it njala yakunyokola?

  23. Welcome Nawakwi.We missed you. It is just that Zambians cannot vote for a woman, otherwise in my opinion Nawakwi can do better than some of these male Presidents we have had

  24. Iam disappointed she is “back”. The political atmosphere will be foul again with her mouthings. She is way past her “best before ” date for sure.

  25. This *** didn’t take a break but was busy benefiting from the PF and here she comes and tell us to give them a chance. **!

  26. Welcome back Hon. Nawakwi. By endorsing PF you have shown your Democratic colours, unlike some pretend Opposition Parties in Zambia. You are a true Parliamentarian and if you lift and promote your public profile, you should make advances in popularity. You can replace UPND as second place 2021.

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