The United Party for National Development (UPND) has announced the defection of two senior party officials from Edith Nawakwi’s Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) who have since joined UPND.
The two, who include FDD’s Chairperson for Agriculture, Emack Kaoma and Tourism Committee chairperson, Harriet Mukololo cited poor leadership and lack of policy direction from the Party President, Edith Nawakwi as the reasons for ditching the Party.
In her speech, Ms Mukololo, who thanked Ms Nawakwi for allowing her to serve as Chairperson for Tourism portfolio under the FDD, challenged Ms Nawakwi, who has waged a relentless privatization war against President Hichilema to shift her attention from the privatization issue which she oversaw as then Finance Minister, to the more recent economic hardships facing Zambians.
She stated that she was ashamed to identify her self with the FDD because the party has no structures and policy direction, saying that each time she went to mobilize her party on the ground, people questioned her mental sanity for supporting a party that was being run like an NGO.
“The FDD has no structures and its policy direction is not clearly defined. The party has no structures on the ground, people on the ground wonder whether am normal upstairs. If I go to the Secretariat, they tell, ‘awe mayo! Niba Nawakwi fye abene’,” she stated.
In affirming his decision to join the UPND, Mr Kaoma stated that it was a relief for him to ditch the FDD, a Party because it has deviated from the ideals and values on which it was founded.
“I now feel a heavy load has been removed from my shoulders because the FDD that I belonged to has moved from its ideals and values. I want to be on the right side of history. My heart has always been for the people and I feel the vision for the UPND fits in well. I believe, together, we shall end the suffering of this country,” he charged.
And UPND Secretary General-SG-Stephen Katuka, in his welcoming remarks called on the old party members to embrace the new members, stating that there was neither old or new member in the UPND.
He also encouraged the old UPND members to embrace the new members, stating that there were no old or new members in the UPND and that those joining the party would add a lot of value and help the party form Government.
“You are warmly welcome to the UPND family. If you have any issues with anybody, please feel free to come and see me. I lead an open door policy. In the UPND, in my father’s house, there are many rooms. The UPND is a Party of choice. In this Party, there are no new members. When you join this party, you are as good as the old members,” he said.
I wonder why some parties with no MP representation not even if we say today is a day of elections not even a fly will sence them as a living object. If they can not attract a fly do you think a normal living person can get closer to do what?
You may join them but you will never be accepted as one of theirs. Good luck keeping up appearances.
Lungu is a theif …….the environmental investgation agency told us lungu , lubinda , tasila and kapata are all theives
They announced they are sueing the EIA , we are still waiting………???
Better join a promising team than remain walloping in wrangles with Jezbel Nawakwi aka husband snatcher.
We shall see how she will react like rabbid wild dog.
Meanwhile PF must go!
Why join a party that is being blown by strong easterly and westerly winds into extinction..Icalo cacine tacitalala nga musunga..
Is this worthy of news? Two losers join each other hallelujah!!!
Upnd, ba real chimbwi no plan. Chipante pante politics. NDC and SP rejected their alliance plans and now they pick up scraps from dead parties??
Nipo nansoni muliye, Which big fish? Tomsol and kapenta ati big fish. I will never forgive you for finishing the budding political career for Mulenga Sata.
Ba sena a or kupama which ever suits you sir, fdd has an mp in chiengi constituency in luapula province. As for the defectors, it is welcome to Upnd and good riddance to fdd. Truly, they want nawakwi to support Upnd like milupi party and lukaku. But nawakwi knows what is good for zambia
Instead of staging defections the UPND is supposed to do a postmortem of its poor performance in the just ended by-elections. These tactics are outdated. Only Garry Nkombo did real campaigns in Mwansabombwe the rest were just wasting time at self deceit
A party for rejects…nauseating
Ba Mulenga Sata is too civilised to be part of the crrent PF cohort.
We are looking for a leader who will have the best manifestation for the people of Zambia next general elections.
It is not easy to wine election in Zambia but He or She must work hard and harder .
He or She must be ready to spend TIME ,MONEY and the VISION must be clear to persuade the INTELLIGENT heart of a Zambian.
A wise leader will subtract sense from no sense.