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Unza lecturer urges govt not to rush into dialogue with opposition

Unza lecturer urges govt not to rush into dialogue with opposition
Written by Allan Mulenga
Saturday, December 20, 2008 9:59:08 PM

UNIVERSITY of Zambia political and administrative studies lecturer Dr Peter Lolojih has urged President Rupiah Banda’s government not rush into dialogue with the opposition political parties before setting an agenda.

And Lolojih has charged that the ongoing wrangles in MMD were a danger to intra-party democracy.

In an interview, Lolojih said the government needed to be sincere to the opposition by indicating clearly the subject of discussion before calling for dialogue with the opposition.

“The government should open up to the opposition by telling them steps taken in solving some of the problems affecting the country,” he said. “The government’s stance and an agenda must be clear to the opposition, if the dialogue is to be a success.”

Dr Lolojih said the government needed to realise the role the opposition play in national development, saying since they are the government in waiting, the opposition should be accorded an opportunity to provide alternative views over the problems facing the nation.

“The government should know that being the government in waiting, the opposition have a role to play in finding a solution to the problems facing the nation. The government should take the lead and there should be no speculations about it,” he said.

Dr Lolojih said there was need for all political parties to burry there differences and put their heads together in finding a lasting solution to the economic challenges affecting the nation.

And Dr Lolojih observed that the ongoing wrangles in MMD were not healthy for internal party democracy.

“Zambia has been a democratic nation since 1991. It means that people are free to speak on any issue, but not forgetting also that there are rules and regulation in each and every political party, where members have agreed to follow,” he said.

Dr Lolojih said although political parties were at liberty to discipline their members, those in leadership should not stifle divergent opinions and those views should also be rendered through the established structures within the respective parties.

“It will be possible for people to judge that there is confusion in MMD, but we should go beyond that reasoning. People should also follow protocol discuss issues within in-house structures,” he said. “Washing dirty linen in public does not help; it will not help the ruling party. It is more or less denting the image of the party.”

Dr Lolojih observed that the recent developments in MMD had brought internal democracy into question.

Labels: MMD, PETER LOLOJIH, UNZA

posted by MrK @ 9:59 PM