UKA HAS MANY WEAKNESSES…we’re very much aware of schemings going on in this alliance, says M’membe
By Fanny Kalonda
SOCIALIST Party president Fred M’membe says there are many weaknesses in the United Kwacha Alliance project that shouldn’t be turned into virtues.
He says there is no reason to be unscrupulous about anything if one’s intentions are noble.
“It’s unwise, and probably suicidal, for any of our opposition colleagues who have congregated in UKA to start treating us as if we are their enemies and throwing all sorts of insinuations against us for not joining their alliance,” Dr M’membe wrote on his Facebook wall on Friday. “It will be messy if we start to hit back in self-defence, which we are very capable of doing. We have openly defended their right to congregate in an alliance.”
He said the Socialist Party has also privately and publicly explained the party processes for making a decision about joining an alliance. “Whereas our colleagues can decide to take their parties in an alliance without the express consent of their members in a congress or convention resolution, we have to seek such authority. Most importantly, we are very much aware of the schemings and manoeuvring going on in this alliance, which we wouldn’t like to subject ourselves to for now. There are many weaknesses in this whole project that shouldn’t be turned into virtues,” Dr M’membe charged. “Let us not deceive ourselves or allow ourselves to be deceived that an opposition alliance in itself or by itself guarantees us electoral victory. Yes, if well conceived and organised it will certainly increase our chances of electoral victory, but it doesn’t guarantee us victory in itself or by itself.”
He said the UDA alliance of 2006 involving UPND, FDD, UNIP and others failed to defeat MMD.
“PF, which was not part of UDA, actually performed better. The UDA partners went into the 2006 elections with a total of 74 parliamentary seats (UPND 49, FDD 13, and UNIP 12) obtained from 2001 elections. PF went into that election with two parliamentary seats (one from the 2001 elections and the other from a by-election). PF came out of the 2006 elections with 43 parliamentary seats and UDA with a total of 26. Michael Sata, the PF presidential candidate, came second beating the UDA presidential candidate into third position,” he wrote. “In 2009, UPND and PF got into an alliance but that pact broke down over who should be the presidential candidate. PF and Michael Sata went on to win the 2011 elections on its own. We are bringing out this background not to discourage opposition electoral alliances but to remove illusions and unjustifiable excitement that can be detrimental to the success of such alliances.”
Dr M’membe called for doing things the right way “even if this calls for our greatest efforts”.
“There is no reason to be unscrupulous about anything if your intentions are noble. We are all seeking unity of purpose and trust but this will not happen if the scheming, manoeuvring, and insinuations against us continues. Let’s respect others, their rights, and their choices,” said Dr M’membe.[The Mast]