Kabimba disagrees with HH over Pact confusion

Kabimba disagrees with HH over Pact confusion
By George Chellah
Mon 12 July 2010, 04:00 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) secretary general Wynter Kabimba yesterday disagreed with UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema’s partial blame on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) over the confusion on the Kaoma Central and Chadiza local government by-elections.

Reacting to the Saturday Post’s lead story, which stated that cracks were beginning to emerge in the Pact agreement, Kabimba described the situation as regrettable.

“I want to begin by saying that it is highly unfair for any member of PF or UPND to blame ECZ over the confusion in the filing of nominations in Kaoma Central and Chadiza local government by-elections. I disagree with putting the blame on ECZ because ECZ has nothing to do with this; this is purely a Pact problem,” Kabimba said.

“For us as PF, this situation is indeed regrettable because it goes against the fundamental principles of the PF and UPND communiqué of June 4, 2009, in which we agreed not to compete against each other in any future election. And both parties are bound by that principle in the communiqué.”

On Saturday, Hichilema said ECZ belatedly announced the Kaoma Central and Chadiza ward by-elections.

“…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,” Hichilema had said.

Kabimba also expressed disappointment with perceptions of a regional split in the Pact.

“I would like to point out as secretary general of PF that our party is reluctant to be dragged into politics of regionalism whether within the Pact or outside the Pact as was the case in the 2008’s pronouncements by RB in Eastern Province. This is because PF has from the beginning strived to unite the Zambian people under one umbrella in order for us to achieve a peaceful country and also to bring about economic development to all our people,” Kabimba said.

“I also want to clear the point that it has never been the understanding of PF with getting into this pact with the UPND that we shall be dividing this country on a regional basis. It has also never been our understanding that our participation under the Pact will be limited to certain areas of this country to the exclusion of the other areas. This would be a very dangerous approach, and it is actually contrary to the PF constitution.”

He said their participation in the Pact was aimed at harmonising both parties’ strengths.

“Our participation in the Pact is intended to ensure that they bring together the strength of the UPND in all the areas across the country where they have done work from the north to the south, from the west to the east, and have this work complemented by the PF’s strengths and work in the same areas,” Kabimba said.

“We have never had, as PF, this perception that the Pact will be exclusive in participation of any of its members in any region. And if there is such a perception, then it’s unfortunate because such a perception would not strengthen the Pact in any way. It can only weaken it; and we did not get into this pact to be weakened in any way.”

He said PF appreciated the high hopes that the Pact had raised in the minds of Zambians.

“I would like to assure the Zambian people that we shall not let them down in ensuring that this pact is driven not by regional politics but by politics of nationalism. We would like to see to it that every Zambian citizen is free to live in any part of this country, to marry a man or a woman of their choice from any part of this country and to work in any part of this country without being stigmatised on the basis of their ethnicity or regional origin. That’s the country that we would like to see,” Kabimba said.

“From 2001 when PF was formed, it has won support from all the provinces of Zambia in each successive election without exception. For example, PF had more votes in the 2008 presidential by-election than it had in 2006 in Eastern Province and Western Province. It had more votes in 2008 in North Western Province than it had in 2006.

“It is on this basis that PF would not want to be part of this perception of regionalism in terms of strength because the popularity of the party has been improving in all the provinces, meaning that the Zambian people are beginning to appreciate the role of PF and its leadership in the politics of this country.”

He said the PF and UPND Pact could only be meaningful if it promoted the ideals of unity across the country.

“To ensure that Zambia remains a unitary state; anything else would be politics of self-preservation, and I don’t think that PF would want to be part of such politics,” said Kabimba.

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.

However, the opposite has occurred in the Kaoma Central and Chadiza local government by-elections where both PF and UPND have separately fielded candidates. But on Saturday, Hichilema admitted that there would be such setbacks, and stressed the need for the Pact to speed up and conclude various guidelines.

“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.”