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Opposition should stop mourning electoral defeat - Munkombwe

Opposition should stop mourning electoral defeat - Munkombwe
By Ernest Chanda
Mon 07 Jan. 2013, 14:00 CAT

VETEREN politician Daniel Munkombwe says opposition political parties should stop mourning their election loss and continue working towards forming the next government.

Munkombwe who is also former deputy minister in the Office of the Vice-President under the Rupiah Banda administration said political parties should respect the people's choice during elections.

"If people choose a particular party and make it win an election, the best the opposition can do is cooperate with that ruling party. And as they do that they must also bear in mind that one day they will be in power.

Their relevance as a political party does not end at losing an election, so they should forget about the loss and plan for the next election without bitterness. If they stick their minds to opposition politics then they will be there for good," Munkombwe said in an interview yesterday.

"I have been in politics for 60 years, and when I first lost an election in Choma I had to wait for {the}final results and shake hands with the person who had defeated me. Political parties must be attractive enough so that more people can join and stay there. Politics is about numbers, and if you continue frustrating members they will run away to an attractive party.

Some are saying that the PF is trying to bring in a one-party state, no; it's the opposition parties which are no longer attractive to the people."
Munkombwe cited Kalomo UPND member of parliament as a powerful bargainer for development even though he is in the opposition.

"Politicians must avoid pettiness. You must be attractive because you are a national leader. Muntanga is a very good politician; I don't like his political party but I like his personality. He is a powerful bargainer for development whom I worked well with when I was Southern Province minister in the MMD government," said Munkombwe. "That is good opposition politics Muntanga displays; not bitterness.

Let us swallow our pride and bargain for development. I was once minister of state for agriculture and people would tell me that nga tabalekufwaya ku Choma ukese kuno tukakuvotele (if you are not wanted in Choma come here and we shall vote for you) because I was attractive, I am still relevant to politics but I have left it to the young ones. So, I encourage my colleagues in the opposition to leave the election loss behind and work towards forming the next government."

Labels: DANIEL MUNKOMBWE, MMD, RUPIAH BANDA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 5:59 PM