By Obvious Mwaliteta
The ruling Patriotic Front(PF) is interested in the internal happenings of the opposition because the United Party for National Development (UPND) is the biggest and most popular political party. They would otherwise not go to great lengths trying to taint the successes it was.
We hoped the PF would pick a few pointers from our just ended General Assembly considering that our Party and incoming President of the Republic of Zambia Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, was not voted for by a show of hands as it happened in their case in 2014.
Our Party President was endorsed by all ten (10) Provinces and therefore, went unopposed and duly elected as president in accordance with our Party Constitution.
Further to the above, it is worth mentioning that as opposed to the 2014 PF convention, there was no violence and neither did we have to wake up any of our Learned Judges in the middle of the night to sign injunctions. We did not require any dubious consent orders declaring Mr. Hichilema as party leader while fully aware that there were members who disputed his election.
We also expected the PF to appreciate our ability to conduct elections virtually without risking the lives of our members during this COVID pandemic, adhering to health regulations.
Last but not least, we expected them to acknowledge that have we demonstrated as a party, that each of the ten (10) Provinces of Zambia has competent citizens of this country as evidenced by our NMC composition, unlike shown in their appointments an terminations in “national interest”.
Prior to the UPND convention, Mr. Hichilema is on record as having invited competition at all levels in order to increase the pool of competent members of the party to choose from. On the other hand, we have all seen the fate of the PF members who have sought the position of party president.
As a party, we felt it was in our interest and that of the nation to continue with the leadership of Mr. Hichilema. the unanimous endorsement of Mr. Hichilema was influenced by his leadership which has seen his popularity grow from strength to strength ever since he took over as President of the party.
For avoidance of doubt, we give two examples, Mr Hichilema went to a meagre 17,000 votes in 2011, to 189,000 in 2016 on the Copperbelt and 45,000 to 242,000 votes in Lusaka, as opposed a 4,000 votes growth on the Copperbelt and XXX votes growth in Lusaka for the PF. With this type of trajectory, its plain to see that the UPND have taken over these provinces this time around.
As level headed Zambians may be aware, opposition politics in Zambia have not been easy especially under the Patriotic Front regime and to have a leader who has held the party together despite his numerous trials and tribulations is indeed rare and a blessing to the country. Mr. Hichilema could have chosen to give up and continue with his life outside politics. His resilience and passion to serve the country is something worth admiring.
Coming back to the issue of the PF Presidency and its Central Committee, we believe that PF members have not paid much attention and thought to what Mr. Kelvin Bwalya Fube has been saying about the legitimacy of Mr. Chagwa Lungu as party president. KBF has been a lone voice but his position is the same as that taken by Honourable Tutwa Ngulube in his capacity as Legal Counsel for the PF in 2015.
According to KBF during his December 2020 interview with Diamond Tv, he said, “We have a vacancy in the party president position. This is why some of us have come out in the open to take up the leadership of the party.” He followed on to say that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu’s mandate as PF President expired in 2019 when he served his five-year term.
Honourable Tutwa Ngulube, inter alia, gave this guidance to his party and the full text can be accessed from his Facebook page as well as online platforms such as Lusaka Times surrounding the events of the 30th of November 2014, at the Mulungushi University.
The life span of the PF General Conference is 5 years. We urge the PF as ruling party to explain to its members and the public at large why it did not have intra party elections in 2019 as guided by its legal counsel and its constitution. Why the abrogated their own constitution if it was not an effort to avoid President Lungu’s eligibility issue.
Instead of grasping at straws to dent the successful UPND General Assembly, perhaps the PF might want to turn the microscope on their own party that lacks credible and democratically elected leaders who move to suspend and expel those aspiring to lead it.
True ! PF Cadres should talk about their own Convention. When is PF Convening its Convention? Can KBF and Panji Kaunda contest the PF Presidency? Given that the Republican Constitution says if “u are elected and sworn in twice ” u cannot stand 4 a Third Term what is PF’s Position on this legal and Constitutional Requirement? PF Members and the Nation at large need clarity on these matters.
Just to be honest, who wrote this crap for Mwaliteta. Oh Ok! He has a daughter at Kafue University.
A PF Response to this Article would pacify Members. As we go to the Convention and later the General Elections on August 12, 2021 Membership of PF need information and answers to the questions raised in this Article.
“Mr. Hichilema is on record as having invited competition at all levels in order to increase the pool of competent members…”
Nice try but,
In a democracy, a leader doesn’t invite opponents, the electoral system in the party does. It sounds and confirms my position that kleptoh² is the electoral system in the upndead, suffice to say that upndead is [belongs to] kleptoh² too.
Don’t worry about PF but the people of Zambia. We will judge you using our reference guide. We have the key to make your god president or a perpetual opposition character he is.
You sound like PF gives you sleepless nights. One thing is for sure, you shudder at the sound of ECL’s name.
Gosh! The undemocratic tendency in the upndead drives my system nuts. This owner of upndead, kleptoh² has galvanized and cooked his position at the top to stagnate Parliament after August 12 2021 by handpicking puppets that would tremble when he coughs. Whereas we don’t expect any tangible change in the voting pattern in the SP, we expect a rude huge beating of the upndead both at presidential and parliamentary levels so Zambia can make progress at legislative level. Behold PF 100%, elite Zambians 100%, ECL%, Zambia overdrive 100%
Verily verily I say unto you that the Tonga party will weep after August 12 2021. The reason is simple. Nothing has changed. The article sounds confused just like the writer himself. I pick so many points of a weak candidate at the top and the party lacks the confidence. They have infact granted victory to the PF at the silver platter. These are signs of losing. The upnd has failed us once again. Believe me, upnd will lose. I hate to say.
Kwe kwekwe kwe kwekwe!
All Baupnd are now writers taking LT at storm. This year awe mwandi.
Kwekwekwekwe they are defending their shambolic conference with all their might in the end trying so extraordinarily hard to making the point.
Next time you should be thinking through your actions before you undertake serious events.
What is killing you todate is sejani’s unpopular mantra still at play in upnd.
In the interest of PF Members and the Nation at large the PF Leadership should answer the questions asked by Mwaliteta in this Article. As PF Members and Cadres we welcome clarify on the Convention and Eligibility issues. Is our President Lungu eligible to stand as our Presidential Candidate in 2021.? Given some doubts raised by the Opposition we need to be re-assured that ECL can stand in 2021 even though he has served as a Republican President for 61/2 years. It’s demolorisng to be reminded by opponents that our Candidate doesn’t qualify. We need clarity on this Eligibility issue as PF Members.
Why do you keep on justifying HH “election” and how democratic UPND convention was? You just realized Zambians can see through your tactics. UPND does not know that holding a convention first is a disadvantage because those that did not get elected assuming there were election have somewhere to run to.
The way ba upnd thinks awe sure kwatitupuba
We have had an intraparty election since 2006, learn from us.
I will end here.
Also, ba PF, Edgar Lungu is a non-issue.
He is disqualified from both party constitution and Republican Constitution.
Why the UPND want EL out of the ballot is beyond me, apparently, he is a weaker opponent.
The 5 comments below are made by PF Bloggers. They are all avoiding pertinent issues raised in the Article. Yes we want to know as PF Members when the Convention will be held? Who will attend and who is eligible for Elections. Is it true that ECL has been elected and sworn in twice and therefore doesn’t qualify for a Third Term? The truth will free us.
Agony is pushing for laws against open air defacation in a village yet you don’t don’t have a toilet.
@thorn in your ass you’re very dull just like your foolish fool friend KZ who thinks like a bat while hanging upside down.You see things differently as compared to the majority Zambians because of that thorn in your ass but anyway don’t worry we shall remove that hunger from your stomach which you feel as if a thorn in your ass.
Hahaha who does this ugly man think he is. This is a free country and anyone is free to comment on anything that is not before the courts. Kwati pali na party. A useless tribal party that has lost elections since the beginning of times. Why would anyone even care what people say about losers like his party? Your f00lish president talks about pf every day so iwe mwalilta I will talk about upnd. What are you going to do because I can beat the life out of you
That Upnd convention was a sham just accept it. And ECL is going to massively win on August 12, 2021. If Upnd want to win on August 12, they should change the candidate. Just telling Zambians that Hichilema is the best is not enough because we know his background and can’t risk him being president of Zambia. Funny thing is Upnd zealots have already installed Hichilema as president! That’s abomination of highest order, somebody who can’t win!
“”Political parties are crucial for the functioning of representative democracy because multiparty democracy generates different policy options for the electorate. Political parties provide a mechanism through which citizens express diversity of interests and aspirations” “And why not another who can win not a looser Try Gary or Jack What nest after Loss this August 2021
That is my real Kaizer!! Not the tamed imposter we usually see comments from.
What a bunch of i.d.i….., the PF Vuvuzelas, above with no substance comments.
The message is clear, focus on your Party and not on UPND. Whatever dirty you throw at UPND, unfortunately, you have it in your own house. You better clean your mess first, before, you criticize others. Otherwise your rantings are not credible, and only a fuuul would buy-in into your stu.p.dit.
PF has not held a free and democratic convention and has instead exhibited undemocratic tendecies, such as expelling members who want to stand. This is a stain that will not be easily rubbed off. PF has not done much for Zambians, Zambia still ranks among the countries with highest levels of poverty and inequality globally. 70% of the population still living under 2$. Cash is ditributed by MPs, to buy votes, thus…
Cash is distributed by MPs, to buy votes, thus exhibiting and condoning day-light corruption that has become official norm.
Ba mwaliteta is so disillusioned.. he fails to grasp realities of our times
What reality naimwe,US$ is at K21 and you buy expired drugs for your citizens to consume and you claim that you governing.Please wake up from your pretended death and wash your face and hv a sane view
The cadre in mwaliteta speaks but it’s all nonsense
If Mr. Katuka thinks it is prudent for political contesters NEVER to comment on the affairs of UPND, it is equally prudent for HH to STOP fake journalists programmed to criticize the ruling Party (PF). The climate is so volatile that a fleet of worried opposition leaders have ganged up against a hard working ECL. They have cast their heads under concrete so as not to acknowledge structural development in Lusaka – which has been extended to all parts of Zambia. Kalaba has deserted his colleagues in a fast developing Luapula Prov. Opposition party leaders seam to be infested with a Trump VIRUS.
Mwaice manganga theriz no need of changing our presidential candidate and not at all coz we believe and trust that HH will make it to state house come 12th August…..If you think that we are going to change our presidential candidate then you will end up being like KZ and the thorn in the ass chaps.
Kz,manganga and the thorn in the ass will be invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of the UPND president,”BALLY your president and our president.
Bo Kanene, may be you are under 5, the ones that brought poverty in Zambia are those who sold the mines to foreigners, and your Sammy Hakainde Hichilema was one of them. He sold Luanshya mine for a song , and greatly benefited from that. And what does he want now? To come and sell the whole country to foreigners? Zambia was wholly dependant on the mines for running its economy, so once the mines sold, it was like breaking your back bone bo Kanene, you can’t walk. That’s the brief economic history of Zambia, in case you are under 5! So PF has done a lot to revive the economy, going as far as getting back the mines Sammy Hichilema and team sold, because Zambians are not benefiting from there. But for you, you can’t see that because you just want your fellow Tonga to rule. For me if…
PF Cadres are seeing a speck in UPND’s eyes instead of looking at the log in PF’s eyes. PF Leadership should tell its Members and the Nation at large when they are holding the PF Convention and state whether or not ECL will stand as President of PF. The Republican Constitution forbids ECL from standing as a PF Presidential Candidate in 2021 given that he has already been elected and sworn in twice and doesn’t qualify for a Third Term. ECL and PF need to come clean on this Eligibility Issuè. The writing is on the wall
There is no dispute, UPND elections were very democratic, because of ignorance most PF guys think going unopposed is not democracy, forgive them. For PF, KBF was expelled from the party for trying to challenge Edgar Lungu at the convention, strange PF Democracy.
I will never for a freemas.onry even if the dollar hits K 159.00 he has no heart for this country because of his role during privatization.
Vote*
Tupuba tu upnd
Eeeeh Natasha Phiri, tunangwa nge chitundu cha chi Tumbuka! Tu Upnd tupuba sana!
PLEASE DONT TALK OF HAKAINDE HE NEVER SOLD ANYTHING YOU BEHAVE AS THOUGH YOU NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL THIS MAN WAS NEVER AT ALL NEAR GOVERNMENT OR WORKING IN GOVERNMENT MEANING ALL THOSE WORKING IN THE GOVENMENT THAT TIME WERE FOOLISH TO ALLOW AN OUTSIDER TO COME AND HELP THEM TO SELL HOW LOGICAL IS THAT HELP ME AM DYING WITH LAUGHTER KIKIKIKI.