Opposition should put its house in order -- Siwila

By BARNABAS ZULU

NATIONAL Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) Deputy Youth National Chairperson Benja Siwila says opposition political parties should put their house in order before participating in elections.

Mr Siwila says the withdrawal of opposition candidates from the Mandevu parliamentary by-election reflects deeper organisational and leadership challenges within opposition political parties.

He says instead of blaming individuals for the situation, opposition parties should acknowledge their internal weaknesses and address them.

Mr Siwila said NRPUP had previously opted not to participate in by-elections in Lumezi and other constituencies because it lacked the financial resources and organisational preparedness.

"We understood that in terms of resources or finances, the party didn't have money. Neither was it prepared to actually participate in those elections," he said.

Mr Siwila said the party also faced leadership disagreements which made it difficult to approach the elections as a united team.

He said the same challenges appeared to be affecting opposition parties in the Mandevu by-election, adding that the opposition needed to take responsibility rather than engage in blame games.

"The opposition is not ready until they put their house in order," Mr Siwila said.

He said the challenges facing opposition parties went beyond allegations involving individuals, including Lusaka Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta, as several stakeholders were involved in the electoral process.

Mr Siwila said opposition political parties would continue experiencing difficulties in elections if they failed to address their internal organisational and leadership problems.