ZAMBIA NEEDS A UNITED OPPOSITION By Edmond Lifwekelo The writing is clear on the wall, UPND and MMD need each other if we are to unseat PF in 2016. Dont write MMD off as a finished party, it still has members and loyalists in some areas of the heavily conservative Eastern province. Going by the recent by-elections, it is clear that the ruling PF has found a formular of winning elections. Every good General will acknowledge the strengths and tactics of his enemy and then develop some formula to counter. PF is running Government and thats where they are drawing their strength; they are using Government resources and gifts to win elections. They are developing infrastructure at a higher rate in areas where they are pending by-elections- thats a fact. So should we just sit down and cry foul at these issues? We will cry but that will not stop the PF from manipulating the electoral process. Come 2016 PF will use the same tactics and before we realise it,,,,,,BOOM! So we need to come up with a formular to counter PFs manouvers. MMD was doing the same before 2011 and if PF found a way to counter MMDs manouvers, why cant we do the same? The PF does not want the new constitution with its 50+1 clause because it will disadvantage them. Thats why we need to unite as the opposition. PF won the 2011 polls using the simple majority rule due to a number pf factors; 1. People were tired of the MMDs 20 year rule and they wanted a change. 2. The percieved corruption tag and the captalist policies of the MMD made it easy for the PF to campaign to a largely pro- poor urban voter; 3. The PF played on peoples minds by practicing populist politics where they told the people what they wanted to hear no matter how rediculous or frivolous it sounded or impossible to achieve like chasing the chinese investors and giving people more money in their pockets. PF will have been in power for 5 yrs in 2016 so reason no 1 why people rejected the MMD will be difficult to achieve. So what should be our message? I admire my friends in the grand coalition for the people driven constitution and the efforts they are making in persuading people to push for a new constitution but unfortunately we cant go into misisi, chawama, mandevu, kamanga or chaisa and persuade the people to reject the PF because of the constitution. People in high density areas (where they are more votes) want food on the table, want their children to go to school and wants housing and bus fares to be affordable... ...The PF seems to be scoring some successes in infrastructure development and the raods network- now I will pose a question; what if the PF will start addressing the issues of high food prices, high fuel prices and unemployment? What will be our message to the electorate in 2016? Fellow colleagues in the opposition its high time we start restrategising our approach to campaigns. Yes we need to unite as the opposition. We dont need a third force. UPND and MMD should start talking now- it will spell doom for these 2 parties if PF wins 2016. NAREP and ABZ, the only other 2 opposition parties with some vibrancy can afford to go beyond 2016 and become opposition forces to the ruling party, but not UPND and MMD. Yes we are aware that electoral pacts and alliances have never worked in zambia but there is always a first. EL
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:14:23 +0000
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