The United Party for National Development, UPND, has said that the Patriotic Front is a bad and unfaithful partner.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with QFM, Party Deputy Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, said the cracks being experienced in the pact are as a result of lack of faithfulness from the PF side.

Mr. Mweetwa said the PF has been treating the UPND as a junior and inexperienced party in the pact, a situation which he said the UPND will not accept.

He said there are high chances of the pact likely to fail as long as the PF continues seeing itself a senior party in the pact.

He said the differences which erupted at the time the two parties were fielding in candidates for the Kaoma and Chadiza Local government by-elections could have been avoided if the Patriotic Front had avoided coming up with a candidate for Kaoma, after the UPND had already done so.

He said the fielding in of candidates should be seen from the perspective of each party’s merit in a particular area, and not from the party being senior or junior.

[pullquote]Mr. Mweetwa however said the pact can still survive despite the differences going on at the moment.[/pullquote]

Mr. Mweetwa however said the pact can still survive despite the differences going on at the moment.

He said the differences going on in the pact are a good recipe for binding the pact together because by the time they are overcome, the two parties in the pact will have known the right way to avoid such hiccups in the future.

The PF/UPND pact has been going through hardships and misunderstandings for over two weeks now following differences in the fielding in of candidates for both Kaoma and Chadiza Local government by-elections slated for August five.

[pullquote]Mr. Mulongoti noted that the antagonism within the pact has been hugely brought up due to the high ego being exhibited by both Mr. Hikainde Hichilema and Mr. Michael Sata.[/pullquote]

The ruling movement for multi party democracy MMD has charged that it will graciously take advantage of the situation if the opposition UPND/PF PACT hiccups persist

And MMD elections chairman , Mike Mulongoti disclosed to QFM in an interview that what is happening within the pact does provide the ruling party a great chance of shedding off some competition.

Mr. Mulongoti said that the cracks in the pact are not new and were expected.

He said that this is because both parties in the pact are mere offshoots of the ruling MMD and are bound to differ on grounds of principle.

He said that the two pact leaders are both fighting tireless for the same position and cannot allow one to lead the other.

[pullquote]He nevertheless indicated that it was saddening that such a great competitor of the MMD was slowly weakening and not supporting the basis of democracy that Zambia has been building through multi party politics.[/pullquote]

Mr. Mulongoti noted that the antagonism within the pact has been hugely brought up due to the high ego being exhibited by both Mr. Hikainde Hichilema and Mr. Michael Sata.

He nevertheless indicated that it was saddening that such a great competitor of the MMD was slowly weakening and not supporting the basis of democracy that Zambia has been building through multi party politics.

But if the pact is to discontinue, the MMD is ready to put the opportunity to good use especially in the forthcoming presidential elections set for 2011.

QFM

The MMD has said opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) members in Chifubu have decided to rally behind the MMD candidate in forthcoming parliamentary by-elections because they have realised that the ruling party is best-placed to meet their aspirations.

And Chief Mwanachingwala of the Tonga people has said the problems in the alliance between the Patriotic Front (PF) and the UPND provide another opportunity for the MMD to win the general elections.

MMD deputy national secretary Chembe Nyangu said in an interview yesterday that friction in the PF-UPND pact will, however, not preoccupy the ruling party’s resolve to fulfill its promises to Zambians.
“We welcome the UPND support in Chifubu. Obviously, they have seen that we are a better alternative and we have a credible candidate,” Mr Nyangu said.

The UPND in Ndola have decided to rally behind the MMD candidate, Frank Ng’ambi, because they are unhappy with the selection process for the candidate to represent the PF-UPND alliance.
Mr Nyangu said discontented pact members are welcome into the MMD because that is where some of them came from.

He, however, said that problems in the alliance are inconsequential to the ruling party. Mr Nyangu also warned Kafulafuta Member of Parliament George Mpombo that he will soon get what he “wants” for his incessant attacks against the party and President Banda.

Mr Nyangu said imputations by Mr Mpombo that the MMD is celebrating problems that have emerged in the PF-UPND pact were just one of those unwarranted commentaries that Mr Mpombo has become synonymous with.
Mr Nyangu said the MMD Government is working on delivering on its promises to the Zambians because this is the platform they will campaign on.

“We will not exert our efforts on problems of the pact. There is nothing to celebrate. Our preoccupation is to provide the best service to the people and build MMD into a stronger political party,” Mr Nyangu said.

He said it was about time the party acted against Mr Mpombo because the people were fed up of his incessant attacks against President Banda and the MMD.
Mr Nyangu said the Kafulafuta MP should not beg the MMD for forgiveness when they take action against him.
Meanwhile, Chief Mwanachingwala has said the MMD will win the 2011 elections because UPND president Hakainde Hichilema ignored the “winning formula” they gave him before the 2008 presidential election.

Chief Mwanachingwala said Southern Province chiefs met Mr Hichilema in Choma and asked him to form an alliance with the MMD but he did not listen.

He said the idea was for Mr Hichilema to align himself with President Banda so that the UPND leader could be adopted as presidential candidate by the two parties either for the 2011 or 2016 presidential election.
“The problem is that he doesn’t want to listen to the chiefs. If God has not anointed you to be President, you just don’t listen to people,” Chief Mwanachingwala said.

He said all the major tribes should have an opportunity to rule Zambia because this can only be done on the platform of a political party with a national character.
The chief said the UPND asked for the problems they are experiencing in the pact because they asked for an alliance from a party which did not need them.

“Whatever stance Mr Sata has taken is okay. I have a lot of respect for Mr Sata because he did go to (Mr) Hichilema. It is (Mr) Hichilema who went (approached) to (Mr) Sata. We asked him to merge with President Banda he did not listen,” Chief Mwanachingwala said.
Meanwhile, ZNBC reports that over 30 PF and UPND supporters have defected to the ruling MMD in Kabwe’s Mpima township.

The opposition members defected at a meeting convened by Chisamba Member of Parliament Moses Muteteka. Speaking on behalf of the defectors, former PF Mpima Ward vice-chairman Deason Banda said he has decided to join MMD because the PF-UPND pact has nothing to offer.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves”
(Romans 12:10, NIV).

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

What are you devoted to in your life? Being devoted to something is simply being loyal by giving of your time, affection and resources. Many people today are devoted to certain restaurants, television programs and even their cell phones! There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but we have to examine our own hearts and see if we are being devoted to the people God has placed in our lives. Are we honoring others above ourselves? The world’s system says to “look out for number one—yourself,” but God’s system says “look out for others, and I will look out for you.”

Today, as you examine your own heart and life, ask the Lord to show you ways that you can honor others. One way is by simply being faithful to your word. Be a person of integrity and honor. As you live your life devoted to one another and honoring others, you are actually honoring God. He will repay you for your kindness and reward you in this life and in eternity!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Heavenly Father, teach me to be a person of honor. Teach me to be devoted to others the way You desire. Fill me with Your love which is all that matters in eternity. I bless You and thank You for Your goodness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Vice President George Kunda has called for peaceful campaign in the 5th August Luena constituency parliamentary by election.

Mr. Kunda says government is interested in ensuring that the by-elections campaigns are held in a peaceful atmosphere.

He has since called on all participating political parties in the by – elections to conduct issue based and development oriented campaigns.

The Vice President was speaking at Nyayuma harbor in Limulunga this morning when he officiated at the Kufuluhela traditional ceremony of the Lozi speaking people of Western Province.

The bye- elections are set for August 5, 2010 for Luena following the resignation of area member of Parliament Charles Milupi.

While Mr. Mulipi s going to re-contest the seat on his newly formed Alliance for Development and Democracy (ADD), the ruling MMD has fielded a teacher, Mwangala Maopu, who has lived in the constituency for more than 30 years.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) has adopted former Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) executive director Muyunda Ililonga as the party’s candidate for Luena.

ZANIS

THE United Party for National Development (UPND) members in Chifubu Ward in Chifubu Township have pledged to vote for the MMD candidate Frank Ng’ambi in the August 5 Chifubu Constituency by-elections.
The decision comes at a time when Patriotic Front (PF )leader Michael Sata launched a scathing attack against UPND president Hakainde Hichilema putting the future of the pact in serious doubt.

Addresssing a meeting held at Chachitika Lodge in Chifubu Township, Chifubu Ward UPND Chairperson, Pyphius Chibangula said he and his members had decided to back Mr Ng’ambi instead of the PF-UPND pact candidate Susan Kawandami because he was a more credible candidate of the two.

Mr Chibangula who was with most members of his executive committee that included the women’s chairperson Janet Sakala and youth chairperson Darius Mbewe said they were not happy that the pact had fielded Ms Kawandami whom they did not believe could deliver development to the area.

He said it was time the Chifubu Constituency electorate voted for a candidate who would bring development to the area and not vote along party lines.

“We don’t even know what Mrs Kawandami is capable of doing and the PF did not widely consult us on their candidate, because if they had, we could have advised them differently,” Mr Chibangula said.

He said he hoped the other members of UPND in Chifubu Constituency would follow their lead and support Mr Ng’ambi in the upcoming by-election.

Mr Chibangula pledged to bring on board other members of UPND in Chifubu Township.

And MMD Copperbelt taskforce Coordinator Prince Robert Mushili, who is part of the campaign committee for MMD candidate in the Chifubu by-election, has predicted victory for their candidate Mr Ng’ambi.

He said the party in Government was committed to bringing development to Chifubu, which was why the people of constituency would vote for Mr Ng’ambi.

Former PF constituency chairperson and now Masaiti MMD secretary Patrick Zulu said PF was losing ground in the constituency.

“People are beginning to realise what’s going on in the pact. It was borne out of selfishness not to serve the people of Zambia,” he said.

He said time had come for the people of Chifubu Constituency to vote for the MMD, as it was a party with practical development agenda.

[Times of Zambia]

Vice President George Kunda has urged MMD members in Western Province to ignore recent developments in the Patriotic Front-United Party for National Development (PF-UPND) pact and concentrate on strengthening the ruling party.

Mr Kunda said this yesterday when he addressed scores of MMD supporters and Mongu residents who welcomed him at the airport.

The Vice-President is in Mongu to grace this year’s Kufuluhela traditional ceremony for the Litunga of Western Province.

He is also in the area to drum up support for MMD candidate in the August 5 Luena parliamentary by-election, Mwangala Maopu.

“Those who read newspapers, you must have heard an in-depth analysis of what is going on in the pact. There are certain developments in the pact which are of interest to the nation.

“But President Banda who has sent me here has given us instructions that we should not be bothered or concerned with what is happening in the pact. What is happening in the pact is very interesting and it is like you’re reading a novel,” Mr Kunda said.

The Vice-President said instead of paying attention to the emerging cracks in the pact, the MMD should concentrate on strengthening and mobilising the ruling party because it believes in order, peace and tranquility.

Mr Kunda said the MMD considers Western Province as its stronghold.

He said the PF and UPND are using political rejects to sell the pact in the province.

Mr Kunda said the UPND is using its vice-president for political affairs Francis Simenda who failed when he served as Mongu Central member of Parliament (MP) from 2001 to 2006.

“Because he (Mr Simenda) failed, you rejected him here in Mongu. And yet this is the man Mr Hakainde Hichilema is using to sell the pact in Western Province,” Mr Kunda said.

He said the PF is also doing the same by using the reject to sell the pact in Western Province.
[pullquote]“Those who read newspapers, you must have heard an in-depth analysis of what is going on in the pact. There are certain developments in the pact which are of interest to the nation.

“But President Banda who has sent me here has given us instructions that we should not be bothered or concerned with what is happening in the pact. What is happening in the pact is very interesting and it is like you’re reading a novel,” Mr Kunda said.[/pullquote]

Mr Kunda called on people of Western Province to be united because the area has produced formidable leaders who are currently serving both in the ruling party and Government.

He cited Mulobezi MP Michael Mabenga who is also Deputy Minister of Lands and in charge of the MMD countrywide.

Mr Kunda said other formidable leaders the province has produced are Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane, Minister of Communications and Transport Geoffrey Lungwangwa and Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa.

“We also have Minister of Community Development and Social Services Michael Kaingu who is doing a fantastic job when it comes to empowering women and this is the leadership which Western Province has produced for Zambia and we treasure all these MPs and ministers,” he said.

Mr Kunda said the advantage of having such leaders is that the province will receive a fair share of national resources to provide accelerated development.
He said Government will continue implementing development projects in all parts of the country.

“We shall build schools, hospitals, roads and we shall explore for oil and minerals,” he said.

Mr Kunda said this is the kind of leadership Government is providing and asked the people in the province why they should accommodate rejects.

He said Mr Hichilema is under siege in Southern Province because people there have rejected him and he wants to export that confusion to Western Province.
“Don’t allow that kind of a situation. As for Milupi, I won’t say much because I am going in the field and explain his weaknesses. We know what he is made of.

We have been with him in Parliament and for those who want to know more about him, I have a detailed dossier on Milupi,” he said.

Earlier, Western Province Minister Sikwibele Mwapela said the people of Western Province are solidly behind the MMD Government and President Banda.

Mr Mwapela said this is because people can see development projects like construction of major roads, district hospitals, the Farmer Input Support Programme, the Food Security Pack and empowerment programmes provided by the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services.

Mr Mwapela said the MMD has already done ground work in Luena where it is conducting a peaceful campaign without any name-calling.

He said the PF-UPND pact has not made any impact in Luena constituency.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]