Maravi

We’re fed up of regional politics - Imbwae

We’re fed up of regional politics - Imbwae
By Mwala Kalaluka
Thu 31 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT

HAKAINDE Hichilema’s Western Province campaign manager in the 2008 presidential election says the UPND leadership in the area defected to the PF because they are fed up of practising regional politics.

And politicians doubting the seriousness of the defections by the UPND leadership in the Western Province to Michael Sata’s PF have been urged to wait and see.

Induna Imbwae Imikendu said in an interview in Lusaka on Tuesday that he was in agreement with what Col Panji Kaunda had revealed about UPND leader Hichilema’s parochial type of politics.

“All what I believe in is that we can no longer practise regional politics. If we wanted to maintain regional politics some of us could have joined Charles Milupi’s Alliance for Democracy and Development party but we couldn't do that. We opted to go for Sata who has vast places, who has more support than Hakainde,” Imikendu said.

Induna Imbwae said the UPND had almost gained ground in North Western, Western Provinces but that this had now diminished because of the regionalised politics in the opposition party.

“I even did make mention that you see Hakainde almost gained ground in North Western, and Western but this is now gone,” Induna Imbwae said. “People are coming out like we have done ourselves. We have come out with about 160 just within the period we said we are going along with PF.”

Induna Imbwae said although he was still in the ruling MMD at the time, memories of the tribal politics that characterised the 2006 UPND national conference held at Lusaka's Mulungushi International Conference Centre were still vivid.

Induna Imbwae said the tribalism that characterised the UPND politics in 2006 would also haunt them during this year's general elections.

He said those in UPND that would want to cheat themselves that the Lozi people can vote for Hichilema because they were tribal cousins should just count the number of parliamentarians or councillors the party had in the province.

“In fact, we need a change this time around. You remember I said we have a problem in Barotseland and that problem needs to be addressed and you can only address that problem with a government that needs to talk than the one that wants to slaughter people like...,” Induna Imbwae said.

Induna Imbwae disclosed that in the run-up to the 2008 presidential elections he was among those that met Hichilema to tell him of the tribal politics that was prevailing within his party but nothing changed.

And Col Makumba, who was the UPND provincial chairperson before his defection to PF, said it was unfortunate that people like Hichilema and the UPND were still promoting regional politics at this time and age.

“When I read the statement from Col Panji Kaunda, I could not believe it. I thought it was not true but then I realised that it was the truth,” Col Makumba said. “I have been in UPND since 1998 but there has never been a time when this issue of tribalism was ever tabled in the National Management Committee. We used to express our concern as a province but it was never discussed by the National Management Committee.”

Col Makumba said they had opted to join Sata’s PF because the change that they wanted could not be attained through narrow regional political interests.“Those that think that our defections are not there, let them just wait and see,” said Col Makumba.

Labels: REGIONALISM, TRIBALISM, UPND

posted by MrK @ 6:34 AM