By SIMON MUNTEMBA
IT is not surprising that UPND vice president Mutale Nalumango has castigated the party’s incumbent members of Parliament to stop being crybabies over the adoption process where some want to be favoured against youthful contenders, because are used to being spoon fed, New Congress Party leader, Peter Chanda has said.
Rev Chanda said UPND MPs had been brain washed and only dance to their leader’s tune and would therefore want to be protected as per tradition. He said the reason UPND had found itself embroiled in internal conflicts is because people are not allowed to think for themselves.
He said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema micromanaged the MPs participation in Parliament, hence their walking out most times when the house was dealing with crucial matters. “The MPs are crybabies and that is why Ms Nalumango is complaining. I am happy that this party now sees what all of us have seen and known for a long time,” Rev Chanda said.
Ms Nalumango’s complaints on radio follows clashes among contenders for adoption by the opposition party for various positions. Over the last couple of weeks, the UPND has been embroiled in internal party wrangles that have seen some party bigwigs defecting to the ruling Patriotic Front with pockets of violence recorded in the adoption process.
The confusion has rocked the UPND adoption process for members wishing to stand for elective political positions in the August 12 general elections with violence during primaries in which one candidate was allegedly shot in Central Province by suspected opponents who are also members of the same party. In a recent radio interview, Ms Nalumango castigated incumbent members of Parliament for having complained that the adoption process were not fairly executed.
Ms Nalumango who indirectly confirmed that the adoption process for the UPND has been marred in some wrangles said the party will not protect anyone regardless of their status. She said some of the incumbent MPs who could have started the confusions because they wanted special treatment over the other shortlisted candidates will not be protected or favoured. “There is no protecting. This is how transparent we are.
He is a candidate there and I don’t even know whether he has won the primaries or not. If he comes out fighting saying they are not protecting me, so be it. Because we are talking about transparency and the people participating. So, if Mweetwa is not protected, why should one be protected?” Ms Nalumango said. Meanwhile, the Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) has expressed disappointment with the violence that has characterised intra-party adoptions ahead of the August 12 general election. ZCSD executive director, Leah Mitaba said the violence exhibited by the UPND cadres during its adoption process was a recipe for anarchy in the country.
