By: Anthony Bwalya – UPND Member
I have to declare an interest from the onset: as a member of the United Party for National Development (UPND), my natural judgment informs me, on the balance of the political mood in the nation; as well as on the balance of all other available electoral data, any change of government in 2021 is most likely going to go the UPND way than any other opposition political party.
There are also indications, that it is possible for the biggest opposition political party to secure an outright victory against the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) because the injury caused by a corruption anchored leadership of the PF has hurt all of us, including the “13,000” mystery angels who secured the 50+1 for President Edgar Lungu and the PF in 2016.
So, it is fair to say, that in 2021, the PF will not be wrestling against the UPND. The PF will be up against a semblance of the 1991 and 2011 popular uprising motivated by the people’s owned desire to end politically motivated corruption, joblessness, poverty, correct personal taxation and public pension systems – both of which are hurting ordinary people, fixing the economy, a return to the rule of law and a total reclamation of our natural resources for the benefit of Zambians.
A people’s uprising is the strongest alliance ever.
But this is never a substitute for UNITY OF PURPOSE among and within the ranks of the opposition.
The opposition is the principal guardian and protector of the people’s collective interests, especially when faced with a wayward ruling regime such as the PF.
Thus, the purpose of any coming together by the opposition, should be for the primary objective of securing objective unanimity and agreement around the tone and general direction of public leadership in Zambia; as well as to tell the Zambian people that the opposition is firmly focussed on securing the national interest, ahead of partisan positions.
It, therefore, follows, that members of the opposition fraternity must resist the temptation of seeking to come together in an alliance for reasons of exerting and extracting political leverage; or indeed the drive to share high ranking political positions. If an alliance should be motivated by the foregoing, then we will have failed the Zambian people whose interests we are carrying on our shoulders.
The UPND is the opposition flagbearer in Zambian Politics at the moment. We must agree on this. BUT, this does not mean other opposition political parties are of no relevance or consequence.
Of course they are. And this is because we are all speaking for the liberation of our people against a self-absorbed PF regime.
But this is not the time for the opposition to be flexing political muscles at each other. We have to look at the realities of our fortunes as a people and recognise that we will all be damned if we play stupid and try to play Russian roulette with the lives of Zambians in the name of securing political advantages for our respective political parties ahead of 2021.
The 2021 general election does not belong to the opposition. It belongs to the Zambian people.
In terms of political advantage within the ranks of the opposition, the UPND has a very clear advantage and that is fact; and this advantage has been given to them by the Zambian people over several years of trusted, resilient, consistent and unflinching leadership.
But in order for this advantage to be meaningfully transformative in 2021, we need ALL other opposition political parties to stand with us without any conditions to it, except to deliver emancipation for our country.
Anything less than this, will play into the hands of the brutal PF regime and will potentially hand them the impetus to come charging at an indecisive, selfserving opposition arena and we will have betrayed our country and our people.
We cannot afford this.
There are only two opposition political parties in Zambia. UPND and the ailing MMD. The rest are job seekers. Mr Bwalya, thanks.
UPND is ready anytime, anyday to take on pyefu, an alliance with other political parties will be just be a bonus to mop up more votes .this why some tutemba parties formed solely to split votes among opposition parties want to paint any talk of alliances black.
THANKS FOR THE WORD NOT THIS DOG KZ BUSY BRAGGING FOR NOTHING.HE IS A BIG MORON.YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.SORRY,TO SAY THIS BUT I KNOW THAT I HAVE SINNED I HATE THIS MAN WITH A PASSION.
In the beginning he says UPND can out rightly win the election without alliance then at the end he requesrd for other parties to join upnd as the only way to unseat pf. Is this bwalya guy on cocaine? I believe he has officially run mad. There is one potent type of marijuana which involves mixing it with goat faeces and then smoking it. I am pretty sure this is what this boy takes. Come 2021we are ending political careers. Tell your HH. As for wangling how can I take a dunderhead like you seriously
This is not the first time upnd has boasted to win the elections.
The mood hasn’t changed in Zambia. PF will still win the 2021 elections. Upnd is always deceived by social media comments.
I repeat the country is not in any mood to change the government.
Wishful ambition!!!!
Luapula has already voted PF, OVERWHELMINGLY.
That’s wilderbeast mentality or thinking, you can’t insult people like that by calling them that they have robotic mentality, are you insinuating that they have heard mentality such that when one jumps in croc infested river they will all jump in, awe bane let’s respect people to make their own choices.
*To swing or not to swing?…..SWING!*
I got that line from George of the Jungle movie. He finally swung.
Pliz,pliz ba upnd dont include ba kambwili in your alliance let alone running mate to HH,remember all what he used to say about hh whem he was in pf,he insulted ba mayo ba Nalumango and you expect ba Nalumango to work with the chief insultor,lf this happens expect ba mayo to leave upnd.Kambwili will spoil upnd votes, this man cant be trusted he is worse than gbm.If you(upnd) continue to entertain this man you will see what Munsholomwe saw.Uwa fitala akaimwena,says hh.
MR BWALYA WELL DONE. NICE NARATION. THIS TIME PEOPLE WANT CHANGE, EVEN THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTERS OF PF WANT CHANGE. INCLUDING A LOT OF MINISTERS FROM PF WANT CHANGE. THEY WISHED 2021 WAS TOMORROW.
Anyone who supports this empty tin is also mad
Anthony Bwalya is a genius and excellent thinker. You have a bright future young man. You have my blessing and keep it up!
I suspect you have a wrong definition of madness Mr Zulu.
“The UPND is the opposition flagbearer in Zambian Politics at the moment.”
Though alliance is the way forward to defeat PF out-rightly…you can not join forces with people with this type of mindset (above) who are stuck in the past with their old ways…you will just be used like a tissue and discarded. Zambia needs a third force attune to modern ways of doing things like the way the youths wrong footed the whole police force deploying hundreds of poor riot officers on the streets at great expense.
How do you have an idea championed by Dr. Kambwili but refuse to have him in the pact? The strength of the grouping will be proportionate directly to the numbers the pact offers.. Mind you, Zambia does not have a coalition setup, where two or more parties form government. Stop making it look like you are strong and can go in it alone all because of greed.
Look, Zambia does not have a strong capable opposition because it’s all infighting and the richest one lionises the party becoming dictator-like and undemocratic.
Now, let’s pop the union proposed……..how can a group of underperforming opposition join up to create strong govt?? It’s impossible. If individually they can’t win, what is the point of creating a rubble group of losers to lead the country. They’d never agree nor work well together. COALITIONS NEVER WORK EVEN IN THE WEST!.
DROP THIS DEAD ON THE GROUND PROJECT! Let each party present it’s strengths to us and we will SWOT test them and pick the BEST.
In a fair game the results will be as follows 1. UPND (HH) 2.PF (??) 3. MMD(NEVERS = Very distant third)……… What is critical is to make sure THE GAME IS FAIR…That is where ECZ , CONCOURT , POLICE , DEFENSE FORCES come in. I trust the DEFENSE forces. The other ones KAYA? UPND will improve on their 2016 performance. PF will fall…MMD will play spoiler for PF…………… As things stand UPND must go it alone…… The others can unite if they want so that PF wins… kikikikiki……Now any YOUTH who thinks straight voting for PF? Unthinkable!! The only “YOUTH ” who will vote for PF is KZ (From UK)
Never seen KZ rattled as evidenced in this debate where victory for UPND triggers his insanity to strange levels of restlessness. Karma has it that what goes round must/will come round. We do not anticipate suicide cases but individuals have to come to terms that PF will one day be voted out, thereafter cleansing will take place as has always been except this time will be conducted professionally for the benefit of the majority Zambians.
Anthony thinks and writes like me. Someone asked me if I was sending him articles, I said no I don’t know the guy.
This is all have been saying, the Alliance is unnecessary next year, UPND is ready to win. The best the other opposition parties can do is not to worst their resources to field their presidential candidate, they can just focus on MPs, not presidential.
In facts most party presidents should just stand as MPs and majors, e.g Musoni, Tayali, Sean, Lukuku, Nawakwi as MP of Lusaka central, Mutati, even Mulyokela can unseat Jean Kapata with 90% votes I swear. Kambwili, Musoni, Milupi don’t be shy, just grab any MP seat. Unless Bill 10 forbids that.
Parliament is currently empty, there is vacuum of thinkers.
Presidential should be MmD, UPND and PF. That will be a fair…
Next year let’s protect our votes jealously by being there throughout the vote-counting process at each polling station so that we do the PVT.We should not give room to these vote thieves to steal our votes again. We will spend the night at polling stations till all the votes are counted. Vote counters should not decide for us. We the voters should decide the future of our country
Exactly, never leave the polling station until your vote is counted and announced, those counting votes should never decide who should lead us.
Every which damn way you traverse in the opposition, for us it’s
PF100%
The Patriots 100%
ECL 100%
Zambia overdrive 100%.
No measure of propaganda will move us.