PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE UPND CONVENTION FAILED TO PASS THE LITMUS TEST OF DEMOCRACY

The Patriotic Front (PF) predicted that the United Party for National Development (UPND) convention would be nothing but a facade, a sham and we have been vindicated.

The secrecy surrounding the UPND convention to the extent of blacking out the media and accrediting Civil Society Organisations aligned to the Opposition party was most unfortunate. It confirms what we have always said that there is no semblance of democracy about UPND.

We still wonder why the UPND constitution has always been a highly guarded secret document. We still wonder why the UPND leadership did not tell its membership that it had introduced a life presidency clause in its constitution to serve Mr. Hakainde Hichilema’s narrow interests. We are also aware that the UPND constitution has been amended to kill intraparty competition. To date, UPND members are still confused as to who was elected and how.

We have said this and wish to repeat that the UPND is a dictatorship in the Opposition. It is Mr. Hichilema’s personal to holder club. This party has no capacity to conduct free and fair intraparty elections.

Zambians have seen yet again that the Opposition party can never be an alternative to the Patriotic Front (PF). The have no alternative transformational agenda to that of the Patriotic Front ( PF). While UPND, in collusion with Civil Society Organisations aligned to it, specialises in armchair criticism and promising Zambians ‘a car in every garage and chicken in every pot’. As they go about misleading themselves, PF remains firm on translating its vision into tangible programmes of action. PF is working hard to ensure the Vision 2030 becomes a reality. We can confidently state that their is no manifesto better that the social contract the people of Zambia have with the PF.

It is a shame that UPND lined up CSO monitors who have been lined up for adoptions as Members of Parliament such as GEARS. On this score, we are challenging the UPND to explain why it took them three (03) days to count 1000 convention votes. We want to believe these results were rigged especially that there was no transparency in the election of leaders.

Issued by:

Sunday Chilufya Chanda
Media Director
Patriotic Front