Maravi

UDA is finished - Tilyenji

UDA is finished - Tilyenji
By Chibaula Silwamba in Petauke
Thursday May 31, 2007 [04:00]

UDA is finished, opposition UNIP president Tilyenji Kaunda has declared. And UNIP Kapoche parliamentary candidate Levison Mumba said UPND president Hakainde Hichilema is not a democrat. Featuring on Radio Explorer on Tuesday evening, Tilyenji who is former UDA chairman said the alliance crumbled after the 2006 elections. He said the alliance was for purposes of the 2006 elections only.

“It’s true that last year 2006 there was an alliance among three political parties, UPND, FDD and UNIP. The alliance was for last year during the elections, now that elections are over the alliance ended, we have changed,” Tilyenji said. “UDA niyazulo, niya 2006, inapita, inatha, inasila.Chigwirizano chinatha. (The UDA was for last year 2006 and now UDA is finished, it’s over. The alliance ended).” He said during the Kapoche elections, UNIP fielded Mumba and all party members should vote for him. “As UNIP, we are on our own and our candidate is Levison Achitenji Mumba,” Tilyenji said. “If there is confusion, people should put it aside. UPND and FDD can also stand on their own, there is no confusion.”

When presenter Patrick Daka asked him about UNIP Eastern Province chairman Colonel Panji Kaunda’s move to campaign for FDD’s Charles Banda, Tilyenji responded, “If it’s true that Col Kaunda is campaigning for Charles Banda, then that is wrong. The rules of UNIP do not allow a UNIP member to campaign for another political party. We are waiting for a report from the provincial committee about Col Kaunda’s campaigning for Charles Banda, thereafter we will know what to do.”
But Col Kaunda said the UDA leaders had not told the grassroots that UDA had ceased hence his support for Banda. He said all the three parties in the alliance had initially endorsed Banda’s candidature under the UDA .

Recently, FDD president Edith Nawakwi said the UDA was just for the purpose of elections but did not state that the alliance had ended. Meanwhile, late UPND president Anderson Mazoka’s widow, Mutinta suggested that the UPND should pull out of the UDA because the alliance had not added anything to the party.

And Tilyenji said there were low levels of development in Kapoche Constituency. “There is a problem of transport in Kapoche because the roads are impassable and farmers are struggling. People of Kapoche have been neglected,” he said. “The MMD has mismanaged this country. We should change the government.”

And Mumba said he was surprised at Hichilema’s reaction to his resignation from UPND to join UNIP. “I thought that Hichilema was a democrat but I’m surprised that he reacted the way he was reported to have reacted. I shall resist any temptation to engage in a debate that will move us away from issues.” Mumba said he believed that politicians should move away from the behaviour of despising people in parties they abandoned. “When you are leaving a party you have to leave quietly and that is the gift I gave UPND, I didn’t call anyone names,” Mumba said. Asked what prompted him to leave the UPND, Mumba responded, “When the time comes, I will be available to the press.”

Labels: FDD, PANJI KAUNDA, TILYENJI KAUNDA, UDA, UNIP

posted by MrK @ 3:21 AM