Thu, 11 Jan 2018 09:44:47 +0000
…Who leads NDC presidential bid
By BENNIE MUNDANDO
CONTROVERSY has risen over whether Chishimba Kambwili or Harry Kalaba are best suited to attract the Bemba vote expected to win the 2021 vote under newly formed National Democratic Congress (NDC).
But Eric Chanda, the NDC spokesperson has confirmed that so far only Kambwili has indicated his desire to stand.
However, some NDC members feel that Kalaba with vast experience in best suited to stand and will campaign for him.
Mr Chanda however said for now, the NDC was only preoccupied with assembling a formidable team of credible politicians knowing too well that it already had an unchallenged candidate in Mr. Kambwili who will lead the party into the 2021 polls.
He said this was because Zambians were convinced that the only person who should lead this country after the next election was Mr. Kambwili, adding that once another person showed interest in contesting on the party ticket, the party will let them know.
“NDC was formed by the people of Zambia for the people of Zambia. It is a democratic party that is open to everybody who want to take part in the leadership of this country. We will not stop any person who wants to come and join us. We want to assemble a formidable team of all capable people who can take this country forward.
“For now, NDC has a consultant in Chimba Kambwili who has come out in the open to declare that he is available to stand as president in 2021. He is associating himself with NDC. We have not received any information regarding Mr. Kalaba but if and once he comes, and he wants to contest, we will let the nation know but for now, we have already have a candidate. We are looking at Mr. Kambwili for 2021,” Mr. Chanda said.
He said if Mr. Kalaba wanted to lead the nation, it was up to Zambians to choose but maintained that Zambians knew the man of the moment was Mr. Kambwili.
“The fact that we have Mr. Kambwili as our presidential candidate does not prevent anyone from joining the party and wanting to contest on our party ticket because we are open. If Mr. Kalaba is the best for this country, the Zambian people will say it.
“However, at the moment, the Zambian people know that the only man for now who can take this country forward beyond 2021 is Chishimba Kambwili and this is where we are focussing as NDC,” he said.
Last week, Mr. Kalaba resigned from his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs while maintaining that he will neither resign from his position as Bahati MP nor leave the PF while some sections of society speculated that he could have been the awaited “messiah” to take NDC to the polls.
