Dear Editor,
The recent dissolution of UPND provincial executive is an apparent attempt to manipulate the electoral college. Mr Hakainde Sammy Hichilema has sensed danger and Western province was a threat to his stay at the helm of the 22 year old opposition party. The UPND anti-HH clique is alive and deep rooted in the ranks and file of UPND. It is their democratic right to be anti-HH therefore dissolving the executive on that account is unfair.
The decision by the party National Management Committee clearly defeats the spirit of the constitution to promote democratic principles within political parties that wish to assume state power. It is therefore not in the interest of the nation to weaken the electoral college at the imminent national convention. The leaders in western province have lost confidence in the failed leadership of the political dwarf in Hakahinde. Mr Hichilema want to plant surrogates in the structures with the view to creating artificial popularity and possibly ho unopposed. Unfortunately this scheme has already been hatched by the vigils political followers who are able to read between the lines.
It is also surprising that UPND NMC can single handedly terminate the mandate of elected officials and substitute them with the surrogates. They did not consult the lower structures in the province to arrive at this strange decision.
UPND is also in denial of the indisputable that western province is shifting camp to the PF at an alarming rate. This should have given the party an honest introspection rather than making uninformed decisions which assaults our hardly cherished democratic credentials. The massive exodus by the councilors by councilors and party leaders is a vote of no confidence in HH.
We are confident that western province is now a neutral political battle ground for the PF and it should continue with vigor and determination wage a spirited political fight to eliminate the UPND in the province. We can assure the UPND that it will be politically bruised in 2021 by the PF under the leadership of President Lungu as the party’s flag bearer.
Marvin Chanda Mberi
Youth Rights Activist
Lusaka
Author
