Crumbling of UDA worries KK
By Noel Sichalwe
Saturday August 04, 2007 [04:00]
DR Kenneth Kaunda yesterday expressed concern at the crumbling of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). In an interview, Dr Kaunda wondered what had happened to the alliance that was meant to unite three opposition political parties. "I want to discuss this matter with the people who were involved," Dr Kaunda said. "I will be talking to them and understand exactly what was the problem. I want to understand what has caused this development."
FDD general secretary Newton Nguni last Sunday said the UDA was a dead issue. And UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela has said UDA has outlived its usefulness after the 2006 tripartite elections. Anamela said UDA was meant for the 2006 elections and that the party had now concentrated on strengthening its structures to prepare for the 2011 elections.
He said after conducting a post-mortem for the 2006 elections, the performance of the alliance and the challenges ahead, UNIP had decided to concentrate on strengthening its structure rather than concentrating on UDA. Anamela said UNIP was now ready to participate in any elections as a party whenever they would arise. He said his party had made a deliberate political position to distance itself from the alliance. He said it was good that UPND had also made its position clear on the matter.
This followed an earlier statement by UPND president Hakainde Hichilema announcing the pulling out of UDA. And Hichilema said UPND would have done better in the last elections if it participated as a single party. He urged his members to campaign for UPND ahead of the 2011 general elections.
The National Assembly has since said UDA members of parliament that have been elected to Parliament would not be affected by the crumbling of the alliance.
Media liaison officer Chikomeni Banda said members of parliament under UDA were elected on their individual political parties.
He said the fact that the parties that formed UDA - UNIP, Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) and United Party for National Development (UPND) - did not dissolve prior to the 2006 tripartite elections meant that their individual members of parliament would continue occupying their seats in the House.
Labels: KENNETH KAUNDA, NEWTON NG'UNI, UDA
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UDA is a dead issue - Ng’uni
By Noel Sichalwe
Monday July 30, 2007 [04:02]
UNITED Democratic Alliance (UDA) is a dead issue, Forum for Development and Democracy (FDD) general secretary Newton Ng’uni said yesterday. And UNIP vice-president Njekwa Anamela has said UDA has outlived its usefulness after the 2006 tripartite elections.
Commenting on United Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema's call to pull out of UDA, Ng'uni said his party had made a position on the matter.
"We have talked about this matter. As far as this issue is concerned, UDA is a dead issue," Ng'uni said.
Anamela said UDA was meant for the 2006 elections and that the party had now concentrated on strengthening its structures to prepare for the 2011 elections.
He said after conducting a post-mortem for the 2006 elections, the performance of the alliance and the challenges ahead, UNIP had decided to concentrate on strengthening its structure rather than concentrating on UDA.
Anamela said UNIP was now ready to participate in any elections as a party whenever they would arise.
He said his party had made a deliberate political position to distance itself from the alliance.
He said it was good that UPND had also made its position on the matter.
"The UDA arrangement was relevant to the 2006 elections and it has since come and gone," he said.
"We have made a deliberate position to strengthen the party structures and when elections come, UNIP will contest on itself."
Addressing a public gathering at Nkonje Community School in Chibombo district on Saturday, Hichilema said UPND would have done better in the last elections if it participated as a single party.
He urged his members to go flat out and campaign for the party and pleaded with them to forget about UDA. Hichilema said UDA was just an alliance and that it was no longer binding.
Hichilema said his party was now positioning itself for the 2011 elections and urged people to continue campaigning for the party. The UDA was formed early last year comprising UPND, FDD and UNIP. The alliance featured candidates from its individual political parties on its ticket.
Labels: FDD, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, NEWTON NG'UNI, NJEKWE ANAMELA, UDA, UNIP, UPND
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Oasis asks ZCID for more time
By Bivan Saluseki
Friday July 06, 2007 [04:00]
THE Oasis Forum yesterday requested the Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) for more time before they could meet over the latter's proposed roadmap on the constitution review process. But FDD president Edith Nawakwi begged the Oasis Forum to engage the government properly because President Mwanawasa who had earlier shown unwillingness to have a Constitution soon has since changed.
On Wednesday, ZCID spokesperson Newton Ng’uni said ZCID had invited to the Oasis Forum for a meeting today.
But Oasis Forum spokesperson Musa Mwenya yesterday said no meeting would take place because the consultative group needed to meet first in order to come up with an agenda. He said the caucus would take place tomorrow and the Oasis had asked the ZCID to reschedule the meeting probably to Monday next week.
And ZCID executive director Chomba Chellah said the Oasis had informed him about their request to have the consultative group meet first before the ZCID meeting.
Chellah said the meeting might take place on Monday or Tuesday next week.
Ng’uni said the constitution conference would adopt the new constitution.
He said ZCID would not sideline any interest groups including the Oasis Forum and each interest group would choose and send their own delegates to the conference.
Meanwhile, Nawakwi has begged the Oasis Forum to engage the government properly and because President Mwanawasa has shown unwillingness to have a new constitution soon.
"We have achieved something. Let us give it a moral character," she said.
Nawakwi said the government and political parties through the Oasis Forum could not agree on several issues and much time had been lost. She said people should remember that President Mwanawasa who had been talking of having a new constitution by 2015 had been convinced and was now agreeable to having a new constitution by 2008.
"The government has finally agreed that they won't go beyond 2008," she said. "That is a major milestone. If there is a ray of hope, it's that ray of hope which must be exploited."
She said President Mwanawasa and politicians should be given a chance because they had shown that they were ready to dialogue.
Nawakwi said people should not make Katele Kalumba, Michael Sata, herself and any other politician a subject of unnecessary debates.
She was supportive of efforts made by ZCID because she said politicians, just like golfers, were free to have their own clubs.
Nawakwi said if having a constitution conference instead of a constituent assembly was the main issue, then all stakeholders should go back and discuss.
Nawakwi said as for herself, she was tired because in 1991 she had the multiparty battle, in 2001; she slept in the bush over the third term and the same in 2006.
"Everybody is tired. Let's get together. We want a constitution, yes, what's the restructure? What's wrong with politicians having a club?" she asked.
Nawakwi said politicians who had earlier been seen as being divided had at least come up with an agreement and the Forum could help debate the composition and other issues.
Nawakwi said PF president Michael Sata did not pull out over disagreements on the roadmap but because he wanted to make a vote of thanks during President Mwanawasa's launch of the ZCID.
"He threatened all of us. We were all waiting for him. The PF official present was literally on edge, pleading if we could allow him (Sata). That's when we all said this (no) in front of officials from ZCID," she said.
"We all refused including Kapita (UNPD vice president)."
Nawakwi said Sata's withdrawal from ZCID had nothing to do with ideologies.
"We can't be leading a country like that. It’s wrong. PF has not pulled out because it does not agree with the timetable. It has pulled out because he (Sata) demanded an opportunity, which was not given. This is the same president who went to the earlier meeting and he was there, he was happy," she said.
Nawakwi said ZCID was acting as an office for politicians because in the past those that had gone to meet President Mwanawasa at State House had been labelled as job seekers.
She said ZCID was acting as a neutral ground.
And Operation Young Vote president Guess Nyirenda has demanded that youths be represented during the constitution-making process instead of merely those coming from political parties.
He said without proper and acceptable representation of young people on the constitution conference, the whole exercise would be meaningless and a waste of time and national resources.
Nyirenda said it was unacceptable to exclude young people from participating in coming up with the new constitution.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, FDD, NEWTON NG'UNI, OASIS FORUM, ZCID
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