Maravi

There are weaknesses in the Pact – Lubinda

There are weaknesses in the Pact – Lubinda
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 21 July 2010, 04:10 CAT

PATRIOTIC Front (PF) spokesperson Given Lubinda has admitted that the recent problems in the PF-UPND Pact have showed that there were some weaknesses in the pact.

Featuring on a QFM radio programme on Monday, Lubinda said what happened in Chadiza and Kaoma was a blessing in disguise because it showed that what they thought was a perfect pact had some weaknesses. He said it was good that the problems happened now rather than later.

“This skirmish was a blessing in disguise… it showed that there were some weaknesses in the pact,” said Lubinda, who featured with pact co-spokesperson Charles Kakoma on the programme.

Lubinda said both the PF and UPND were determined to make the pact work.

“And the messages we have been receiving from the people of Zambia over the Kaoma and Chadiza thing have been very encouraging and also very scary,” he said.

Lubinda said the PF and UPND would be regarded as betrayers in the event that they broke the pact.

“How I wish it was only us after we fail, in the event of us failing that it would only remain to us to feel foolish, then I wouldn’t be worried. We will not just feel foolish, we shall feel guilty and shall be judged betrayers of the hopes of the 13 million Zambians,” Lubinda said.

“What is at stake here is much bigger than most people are contemplating. We are talking about the lives of the children who have died of measles, those whose mothers and fathers are going to be thrown out of Zamtel because Zamtel has been privatised in a very dubious manner by education minister Dora Siliya.”

He said many people would suffer should the pact fail to handle the matter carefully.
Lubinda said this was a matter of life and death and they could not afford to play around with it.

He said they regretted the fielding of separate candidates in Chadiza and Kaoma, contrary to the pact agreement.

“But also please let us tell you that we feel happy it happened now, happy it didn’t happen next year, we are able to learn and build on our mistakes and become stronger,” Lubinda said.

He said there were many schools of thought on the appropriate time for announcing the pact’s presidential candidate.

He said others felt the announcement should be made after the election date is declared and Parliament dissolved.

Lubinda said Zambians should allow the pact to handle the matter in the best way it could as that would be in the interest of the nation.

Lubinda said whoever would be identified trying to put a wedge in the pact would be sidelined.

And responding to the callers, Kakoma said it was clear that the people of Zambia wanted the pact to succeed.

“It actually contradicts somebody who has done a fake research and come to the conclusion that people in Southern Province, Lusaka and Copperbelt don’t want the pact. It’s clear from the calls coming in that people want the pact. So we don’t know where they do their research,” Kakoma said.

“What is important is for you to start challenging the people saying that there is an alternative to the pact.”

Kakoma also said it was not legally possible to withdraw the candidates in Chadiza and Kaoma because they had already filed in.

Kakoma said the pact was not about PF president Michael Sata or UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema.

Most callers to the programme urged the PF and UPND to make the pact work.

Labels: CHARLES KAKOMA, GIVEN LUBINDA, PF, PF-UPND, UPND

posted by MrK @ 9:42 AM