Mon, 06 Mar 2017 12:51:57 +0000
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
UPND should be more concerned with its leader Hakainde Hichilema’s continued abrogation of its constitution in his quest to remain at the helm of the party instead of worrying about President Edgar Lungu’s 2021 presidential candidacy, Christopher Shakafuswa has charged.
Mr. Shakafuswa, who is PF Lusaka Province information and publicity secretary, told the Daily Nation yesterday that the UPND was living under delusion that by vigorously campaigning against President Lungu’s candidature for 2021, hoping that it would divert people’s attention from its own inefficiencies.
He said it did not make sense for the UPND to continue playing the hide and seek game to the point of going to court with the hope of blocking President Lungu from standing in 2021 under the guise that he was abrogating the republican Constitution.
He said the UPND leadership was scared to go for a convention because most of the officials were just appointed by Mr. Hichilema.
Mr Shakafuswa said because the current leaders did not have the blessings of the general membership, it made their positions vulnerable, hence their opposition to holding a convention.
“Mr. Hichilema has never been re-elected from the time he became party president but no one is complaining, yet the same people are pursuing President Lungu even in courts over his eligibility while turning a blind eye to the intra-party dictatorship which they are subjected to.
‘‘They cannot call for a convention because both Mr. Hichilema and his appointed officials know that they will lose,” Mr. Shakafuswa said.
He said instead of diverting people’s attention to an issue which had ittle impact on its performance, UPND should be soliciting for answers to the party’s dwindling fortunes perpetuated by Mr. Hichilema’s failure to steer the party to victory.
He said contrary to what was obtaining in the UPND, the PF had been exemplary in the way it had held intra-party democracy as structures from the grassroots to the province were all elective as opposed to imposing people through questionable appointments.
“All party positions in PF from the grassroots to the province are all elective and the party has made it clear that we will start having elections at all party levels starting in July 2018 and these elections will culminate into the general conference which will be held in April 2020. As such, there is no vacuum in the party and democracy is thriving,” he said.
