Maravi

HH reveals Pact’s challenge

HH reveals Pact’s challenge
By George Chellah
Sun 11 July 2010, 04:10 CAT

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said the UPND-PF pact has a challenge to see which party can help them win elections.

Reacting to yesterday’s Post lead story, which stated that cracks were beginning to emerge in the pact agreement, Hichilema stressed the need for the political parties in the Pact to speed up and conclude various guidelines.

“There is no option to the Pact. My messages to citizens who want change is…the Pact is intact as far as I am concerned,” Hichilema said. He admitted that there would be such setbacks.

“The important thing is to learn the lessons. There could be perceptions, what we have to do is take them in plus the facts. Yes, there are perceptions of this regional split but we must look at the bigger picture,” Hichilema said.

“We must go in Luena constituency and win and leave the issues of regionalism. These issues will always be there. I am still very, very positive about the Pact. The challenge that is there is to really see which party can help us win an election.”

Hichilema said the debate on Western Province was neither here nor there.

“It shouldn’t be that when Luena was agreed to go to UPND then the issue of splitting the country arose. Why wouldn’t it be the same with Chimwemwe constituency ward by-election where PF is fielding?” he asked.

Hichilema said the Pact’s working group must be quickly summoned for a meeting.
He said there should be no regional approach to the matter.

“But people will have views, people will talk. I wouldn’t say that there will be no strong feelings from UPND in Chimwemwe. I wouldn’t say that there will be no strong feelings from PF in Luena. We should learn the lesson on that,” Hichilema said.

“For me, the intentions are very clear. I agree with some of the commentaries in the editorial comment that we must tighten our belts. We should learn our lessons. The working group should meet to review this situation.”

He described what occurred in Kaoma Central and Chadiza as unfortunate.
Hichilema explained that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) announced the first round of by-elections, which included Luena, Chifubu and other ward elections in Kabwe, Siavonga and Kitwe.

“Subsequent to that the ECZ announced another set of by-elections on the same date. The working group meets to argue which party will contest, the candidates come later. Zambians should get used to the concept of the debate which is necessary,” Hichilema said.

“The ultimate for me is we must win elections, by-elections to run the country better. The candidate’s choice is driven for example… Chifubu the PF will drive the selection of the candidate for now, for Luena the UPND will drive the selection of the candidate.

“And ECZ belatedly announced Chadiza’s Longe ward, Kaoma Central, they announced Mulwa ward in Luampa, Choongo East in Bweengwa, they announced this belatedly. This is part of the scheme the MMD is using ECZ to create confusion in our camp because they know the process we go through. They want to be pulling up surprises. But the onus is on us as the Pact to be ready 24 hours.”

He said once the four by-elections were announced a week to the nominations, the working group was supposed to meet and decide.

“They did not meet as a result of that, they ended up trying to contact each other through the phone. Everybody was preparing, waiting for the working group to meet. The working group didn’t meet,” explained Hichilema.

According to a joint statement signed by both PF and UPND on June 4, 2009, the parties agreed not to compete against each other in successive elections.

“…we will provide an effective, formidable and unbeatable electoral challenge to the corrupt MMD in all elections and we demand early presidential and parliamentary elections,” states the joint statement, which was issued the day the pact agreement was formally consummated.

However, the opposite has occurred in the Kaoma Central and Chadiza local government by-elections where both PF and UPND have fielded separate candidates.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PF-UPND, SATA

posted by MrK @ 4:20 AM