By NATION REPORTER
DAVIS Chama says the United Party for National Development (UPND) should be wary of people defecting from the Patriotic Front (PF) because such are nothing but political nomads who do not believe or have any respect for ideological beliefs other than their self-preservation instincts.
And Mr Chama says the PF is confident of restoring itself and taking over the reign of governance in 2026 even without those who are defecting to the ruling party to seek protection from their alleged or perceived crimes.
Mr Chama, who is PF national chairman, said those leaving the party for the UPND are political turncoats who did not believe in the ruling party ideology or governance style.
He cautioned the UPND leadership to be careful in receiving and celebrating defectors from the PF because such members were mere political tourists who would abandon the ruling party no sooner than it will be out of government.
Mr Chama recalled that the people who were defecting from the PF to join the ruling party were once fierce critics of the UPND to the extent that they even branded the ruling party tribal while it was in opposition.
He said it was high time Zambians started frowning upon political nomads who had nothing to offer to the country’s democratic dispensation because their desire was only to belong to the ruling class.
“Those who are defecting from the PF to the UPND are just political tourists. They are political nomads and they do not believe in what the ruling party stands for. These are the same people who called the UPND and its leadership all sorts of names including branding the ruling party tribal when it was in opposition. If I were to advise the UPND, I would be warning them to be wary of such political nomads because they will abandon noe ruling party once it is out of power. We must stop this culture of being political nomads and should belong to political parties because we believe in their ideologies,” Mr Chama said.
He said some of the people running to the UPND were only seeking protection from either prosecution or harassment for what they could have done or said while they were in the PF.
He stated that the former PF members who were now in the UPND supported everything the former ruling party did and demonised the ruling party while it was in the opposition and should therefore never be trusted.
And Mr Chama is confident that the PF was likely to bounce back to power without those who were leaving the former ruling party to join the ruling class.
He said in 2021, the PF won the elections without all those who were defecting to the UPND and that the former ruling party would be able to form government for the second time in 2026 without such political tourists.
“The PF is not worried and moved about those who are defecting. We formed government in 2011 without them as they were in other political parties. We won elections in 2016 without them and we are going to form government in 2026 without them.
But it is high time that our politics should be based on principle and not on opportunism. We need politicians who can inspire and move the country forward.
This habit of defections each time there is a change of government should not be allowed to grow even if our constitution provides for freedom of association,” Mr Chama said.
