By SANDRA MACHIMA
THE UPND should not blame others for the mass resignations of councillors but need to establish the real reason why they are resigning from the party, says Nalikwanda Member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Lungwangwa has charged.
Professor Lungwangwa said it was time to identify the problem to rectify it as 2021 was drawing near.
He said most of the councillors who were resigning were actually not politicians but went for positions based on the grade 12 certificate of education or equivalent requirement.
Prof Lungwangwa said it was against that background that most of the candidates who were suitable to take up those positions were disadvantaged.
“These resignations did not start today, but they started shortly after the general election because most of these people were hand-picked as candidates because of that grade 12 requirement, so most of them were not politicians as such.
“So the matter needs deeper analysis in terms of trying to find out what it is, in that the 2021 is nearing, and it is very important to determine the problem instead of pointing fingers at individuals, that will not help,” he said.
Prof Lungwangwa said it was therefore important to look into the gaps to avoid recurrence, instead of blaming individuals or linking anyone to defections in Western province and other areas.
UPND in Western province was engulfed in differences over the resignations of its councillors on claims that senior party officials were coercing the move.
Currently, more than 10 councillors UPND have resigned from their positions in Western province, with the latest being from Namengo ward Councillor in Nalikwanda Constituency, Mr Liamba Imbuwa and his counterpart Imusho Ward councillor in Sesheke constituency Brian Liyemo.
The party leadership has been blaming the Patriotic Front for the mass defections, claiming that the ruling party was buying off councillors.
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