Maravi

Kunda’s attacks are making UPND more popular, says HH

Kunda’s attacks are making UPND more popular, says HH
By Florence Bupe
Tue 09 Mar. 2010, 06:40 CAT

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema has said Vice-President George Kunda’s agenda is working against the MMD. And Hichilema has charged that the formation of new political parties could possibly be a ploy of the MMD. In an interview, Hichilema said Vice-President Kunda’s attacks on the UPND were making the opposition more popular among the electorate.

“I met George Kunda in Mufumbwe North Western Province and he had to bury his head because he realised that the people there are not supporting him, they are supporting UPND,” he said.

Hichilema said Vice-President Kunda’s statements that the UPND were in a leadership crisis because he Hichilema had failed to manage the party had made the party more popular.

Hichilema said Vice-President Kunda and President Rupiah Banda were making themselves irrelevant through their failure to perform.

“People are saying we are focusing on removing Rupiah and Kunda from office but the fact is that they are removing themselves through their failure to deliver to the people of Zambia,” Hichilema said. “Many Zambians still don’t have basic necessities like water, medical services and food.”

He said those criticising the opposition for seeking to unsettle the MMD from office had no reason to do so because Zambia was a democracy.

“We are in a democracy and if a party is not performing, anyone is free to remove it from office,” he said.

And Hichilema said the formation of new political parties could be a ploy of the ruling MMD.
Hichilema said it was common knowledge that the MMD facilitates the mushrooming of political parties towards every general election.

“We all know that as we move closer to election time, so many political parties come on the scene, but this is not time to subdivide, we need to work together to move the MMD from office,” he said.

Hichilema disclosed that he had advised National Restoration Party (NAREP) president Elias Chipimo Jr to consider working with the UPND-PF Pact even before he launched his party.

“Chipimo is an old friend of mine from university, and I did advise him even before he launched his party that he should consider working with the existing parties instead of forming another one,” he said.

However, Hichilema stressed that Chipimo Jr was free to go it alone in the 2011 general elections.
“I’m extending an olive branch to my friend Chipimo Jr. He is free to come on board and join the alliance, but he is also free to go it alone if he so wishes,” he said.

Hichilema said it was not necessary for Chipimo Jr to claim that the existing political parties served no purpose for the people of Zambia.

Chipimo Jr had stated during the launch of NAREP last week that he was prompted to form his own party as opposed to joining already existing parties because none of them was relevant to the electorate.

“To claim that existing political parties are irrelevant to the people of Zambia is not necessary. Let him Chipimo Jr just pursue his political career without attacking the opposition in existence,” said Hichilema.

Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF-UPND, UPND

posted by MrK @ 7:00 PM