By Allan Mulenga
Sun 30 June 2013, 14:01 CAT
NAREP president Elias Chipimo says opposition alliances that are formed for selfish motives to dislodge the ruling party are short-lived.
And Chipimo says NAREP will not rush into forming an alliance with any other opposition party.
In an interview, Chipimo said opposition alliances hurriedly formed result in chaos and frustration.
"For successful alliances to work, you need first of all to ensure that you share the same vision of where you want to go. Now if your vision is just to dislodge one administration from power, then that vision may not be long-lived. It may only result in chaos and frustration," he said.
Chipimo said identifying a leader had been the main problem affecting most African opposition alliances.
"The most pressing issue, especially in African politics, is who will lead. Those are the issues that will take time for the opposition themselves to reflect on and digest; including who will make up this so called alliance. Is it going to be more than two parties coming together?" he asked.
And Chipimo explained that Narep would only form an alliance with opposition political parties that share its values and vision.
"We are willing to work with anybody who shares our vision, who shares our values and is prepared to adopt the approach to politics that we have taken. We don't believe in issuing insults; we believe in focused debate. We believe in offering solutions; we believe in critising where things are wrong, But offering support for those programmes that benefit the people of this country," he said.
Asked whether the opposition in its current form was capable of working together as a united force, Chipimo responded: "The potential and capacity for forming an alliance among the opposition is there. There is no doubt whatsoever. Whether it will happen is going to be a function of political events as they unfold. The dynamics that are going to unfold in Zambia over the next six to twelve months may well indicate that either we go alone or we align our interests."
The working alliance between MMD and UPND has failed to materialise as both parties have been accusing each other of being insincere. In most by-elections both opposition parties have opted to field their candidates, a move which has made them to further drift apart in forming a loose alliance.
http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=34781
PF, WYNTER KABIMBA, BY-ELECTIONS,
Come what may, PF is winning Kafulafuta - Kabimba
By Abigail Chaponda in Ndola
Sun 30 June 2013, 14:01 CAT
IT does not matter what coalition opposition parties will form because the PF will still win the Kafulafuta seat fair and squarely, says PF secretary general Wynter Kabimba.
And Kabimba says MMD's candidate in the Kafulafuta by-election Evelyn Mwanawasa is not a threat as she cannot ride on late president Levy Mwanawasa's legacy.
In an interview at Mukuba Hotel in Ndola, Kabimba said the PF was headed for a landslide victory in Kafulafuta as the MMD did not leave any development in the area.
"Lamba people are clever because their voting pattern always favours the candidate standing on the ruling party. PF is winning the Kafulafuta seat. It doesn't matter the kind of coalition the opposition will form, we are going to win the seat fair and square," he said.
He said Lamba people were interested in who could take development to their area and as PF, they were ready to take the development to all parts of the country.
Kabimba said the PF party and President Michael Sata were interested in the welfare of the Zambian people and were committed to taking development to all parts of the country.
He said politics was not a game of angels and saints and that everyone had issues in the world and asked people to look beyond PF candidate James Chishiba's weaknesses and look at the amount of development he was going to take to Kafulafuta.
"PF is the only party that is going to develop this country. You will not see any lopsided development, where only urban areas are developed. This country will be developed and employment created," he said.
And Kabimba said those thinking that Evelyn Mwanawasa was going to win the Kafulafuta seat by riding on her late brother's legacy should think again because she was not a factor on the political arena.
"Even in late president Mwanawasa's reign Kafulafuta was still underdeveloped. And George Mpombo was the MP, what did he do? Nothing. Mpombo is not a factor in Kafulafuta or anywhere. In 2011, PF asked him if he can stand in Kafulafuta but the people rejected him and he himself conceded. Today he is working with UPND. There is nothing Mpombo can do. What Mpombo is doing is giving false hopes to UPND," he said.
And Kabimba asked PF members to refrain from violence even under provocation.
"PF is a peaceful party and we condemn violence. We want to win all the by-elections democratically. UPND must learn to be good losers if they want to be relevant in the politics of the country. Crying foul to win political sympathy will not do them good. Come what may, we are winning the Kafulafuta by-election and all other by-elections to come," said Kabimba.
Labels: ELIAS CHIPIMO, NAREP, OPPOSITION
posted by MrK @ 5:11 PM
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