Lumba calls for redefinition of political power

Lumba calls for redefinition of political power
By Erest Chanda
Mon 30 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

NEWLY-elected Solwezi Central UPND member of parliament Watson Lumba has called for a redefinition of political power so that it can be used to develop the country.

Delivering his maiden speech to Parliament on Friday, Lumba said there was need for Zambians to articulate national interests that transcended party affiliations.

“…I wish to pick, for my extended discussion, the state of politics in our country. Politics is about power; it is about the power of the state. It is about the power of the state as applied to individuals, the society in which they live and the economy in which they work,” Lumba said.

“I believe that there remains a fundamental need for us as a people of Zambia to clearly define and articulate our national interests that transcend party affiliations. Under girding such national interests should be ethical and moral issues that include setting for ourselves to honour virtues of hard work, honest, trustworthiness and decency.”

Lumba said time had come for citizens to discuss politics of issues with a discernible ideological position.

“Debate, therefore, is about fundamental ideas, particularly ideas about how political power must be used in developing our young nation and the proper role of the state in the economy and society, is critical to an informed discussion on policy in this House.

Unfortunately this is lacking. For as long as I can remember, it has become fashionable in our young country to accept that politics do not deliver sustainability and lack imagination,” he said.

“We continue to waste time and resources on non-issues. Put crudely, it is the degrading view gaining ground in our nation that says 'forget the ethics and morals, everything goes, the end justifies the means'; and also that 'everything is up for sale at the right price'. I disagree and disagree fundamentally.”

He said the current government had failed to give a leadership that people could look up to.

“We have allowed ourselves to assume mental dwarfism that refuses to think that critically and beyond our narrow self interests. We are content to visit political tuntembas, translated as tea cants or prefabricated sheet corner stores when we can get more from political malls with their polished knowledge,” Lumba said.

“To get back to that place requires leadership; leadership that the current government appears demonstratably incapable of providing. Our future challenge is to build across this nation a robust domestic constituency in support of Zambia's future international engagement, one that will not be neglected by inferiority complex.”