By AARON CHIYANZO
UPND does not have any plans of adopting Matero Member of Parliament, Lloyd Kaziya because there are already five members aspiring for the seat, UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma has said.
Mr Kakoma said Mr Kaziya would have to ditch the Patriotic Front and join UPND if he was to join the race for the seat under the opposition party’s ticket.
He was reacting to claims that Mr Kaziya had been holding secret meetings with UPND where he was promised adoption.
This was after Mr Kaziya was admonished by the PF over remarks that he would ensure the ruling party loses power to the opposition in Lusaka’s Matero constituency.
Mr Kakoma said in an interview that as far as UPND was concerned, Mr Kaziya was a PF parliamentarian and that there had been no attempts to win him over.
He said Mr Kaziya would still not be adopted automatically as the UPND’s candidate even if he was to join the party as there were procedures to be followed.
Mr Kakoma said Mr Kaziya would have to be selected by the grassroots as the preferred candidate for him to be adopted.
He said so far five UPND members had expressed interest to content the Matero seat, saying Mr Kaziya would have to compete with them.
In an interview on Sunday, Mr Kaziya, the embattled Matero MP, said he would use his influence to ensure the PF loses the parliamentary seat to the opposition in the August 12 general elections.
This raised eyebrows around PF members who not only blasted him, but demanded for his expulsion from the party.
But barely 24 hours later in a dramatic turn of events, Mr Kaziya, who wanted to save his face after growing pressure claimed the story was not true but a fabricated one aimed at bringing his name into disrepute.
This was however countered with the publication of a recording of the interview in which the MP was clearly heard denouncing his own party.
