Stop bickering, EYA tells top PF members

Mon, 19 Dec 2016 14:09:55 +0000

By Bennie Mundando

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) members must help the President deliver meaningful development to Zambians rather than wasting their energies fighting over personal issues, the Evangelical Youth Alliance (EYA) has said.

EYA executive director Moses Lungu said it was disheartening that instead of working hard to help the party realise its campaign promises made to Zambians in the last election, some senior party members were preoccupied with seeking Government positions and had continued bickering instead of helping the President to work.

Rev. Lungu said some senior party officials were busy squabbling over positions and accusing newcomers of hijacking the party without realising that there were no jobs for everyone who contributed towards the party’s victory this year despite President Lungu making it clear on the matter.

He said the seemingly deteriorating relationship between Copperbelt Province Minister Bowman Lusambo and Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili could degenerate into ‘‘chaotic scenes’’ which the party would fail to handle if not nipped in the bud.

He said 2021 will prove to be a difficult year if the ruling party tolerated dissent among its senior members, adding that there was need for old members and newcomers to find common ground for co-existence.

“The PF members must learn to co-exist between the old and the new members and this claim by senior members that they are being overlooked and jobs are given to newcomers should come to an end. Party members should instead look at helping President Lungu to work and develop this country because if they fail to deliver to the people, 2021 will prove to be a very difficult year for them.

“If someone has not been considered for a job, it is not the end of the journey. President Lungu himself made it clear that he will appoint people on merit and not on the basis of how long one has stayed in the party and we feel this is the path all must take rather than attacking each other.

‘‘The bickering between Mr. Lusambo and Mr. Kambwili should be addressed by the party because PF needs everyone and if they start chasing each other, will go into 2021 elections as a weakened force,” Rev. Lungu said.

He also advised the ruling party not to discard its campaign allies in the previous elections because they contributed to its victory.

He said the notion held by some party officials that those who aligned themselves to the party were looking for jobs was wrong because most of them joined out of principle and have not complained despite not being given positions in the Government.

“The resentment by some people within the party towards newcomers and other stakeholders who helped the party win the election is unfortunate and I would like to make it clear that not all stakeholders who supported the PF win the August elections were job-seekers.

‘‘Some of them did it out of principle and they are not asking for jobs from Government but to be heard when they air their concerns on numerous issues of national governance,” he said.