SHUT UP, UPND TOLD

Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:18:03 +0000

…utterances diluting dialogue process 

By Aaron Chiyanzo

HAKAINDE Hichilema and his party should just shut up because his continued utterances and arrogance are diluting the dialogue process and rendering the exercise irrelevant, former UPND spokesperson, Edwin Lifwekelo has charged.

“The UPND and their leader are  exhibiting arrogance and Hichilema’s adamancy as shown through his pronouncements that no court cases will be withdrawn will injure the whole process, he should shut up if serious,” Mr  Lifwekelo said.

And Mr Lifwekelo reminded the UPND leader, Mr Hichilema that a nolle prosequi was not a complete discharge and he should be careful.  He said in an interview with the Daily Nation that Mr Hichilema should come down to reality as there would not be any presidential elections until 2021.

Mr Lifwekelo reiterated that the matter regarding the victor of the 2016 general elections was now water under the bridge as the winner was known by all.

He said that if the UPND president was going to continue with the arrogance, then he would be giving the impression that the proposed dialogue was just an exercise in futility for cameras and the television.

Mr Lifwekelo charged that Mr Hichilema only agreed to the proposed dialogue with President Edgar Lungu to blindfold people and boost his political image.

“If Mr Hakainde cannot withdraw court cases in the spirit of give and take, then it is confirmation that he is not serious about the proposed dialogue.  President Lungu has been committed but our colleague has been seriously diluting the whole dialogue process,” he said.

Mr Lifwekelo said that Mr Hichilema’s pronouncement that he would not drop any court cases was an exhibition of serious arrogance, not remorseful and not taking responsibility for his wrong doings

He also challenged the UPND to start taking part in national affairs if they were really serious about the proposed reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Zambia Republican Party (ZRP) president, Wright Musoma said that Mr Hichilema had already defied the dialogue process by publicly announcing that he was not dropping any court cases.

Mr Musoma said that the dialogue process was premised on an agreement that misunderstandings would be put in the past. He said that Mr Hichilema was not serious with the proposed dialogue and that it would just be a waste of time.

Mr Musoma explained that there could never be real dialogue when one of the people involved was still harbouring grudge and resentment.

He reiterated that Mr Hichilema had agreed to the proposed dialogue so that he could be freed and continue with his deceit.

However, UPND secretary-general,  Steven Katuka told the Daily Nation that they had not promised to discontinue any court cases and that they were still waiting for the dialogue roadmap.