PF INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES HAVE BETRAYED THE PARTY – DAVIES CHAMA
PF deputy national chairperson Davies Chama says former party members who have decided to stand as independent candidates after being left out of the adoption process have betrayed the party.
On Sunday, former Kitwe District Commissioner Binwell Mpundu and immediate past Kalulushi mayor and former constituency chairlady Rashida Mulenga resigned from the party in order to stand as independent candidates in the upcoming election.
Former PF Eastern Province youth chairman Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda and former defence deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga also declared that they would contest this year’s general elections as independent candidates in Petauke Central and Chinsali constituencies, respectively.
But in an interview, Chama said it was unfortunate that most members who earlier declared loyalty to the party had decided to stand as independent candidates.
“This is betrayal because these people were saying that they were loyal members. If you have talked to them, most of them were pledging that they were loyal members. That is why you judge people by their words and actions, because what you say must reflect on what you do. It is very unfortunate that people who were masquerading, of course people are frustrated because some people are so ambitious that if you are not picked, they think that they should be picked at all cost. There is only one position, I have always said that there is only one position at any particular time. Our wish is that 10 people or 15 people can stand, but even if you were to say 15 people stand and you have received 30, you will pick 15 people, you can’t choose 30 people,” Chama said.
“In this case, there is only one position at any particular time for a particular constituency. So, only one person can be picked. Everyone thinks that they are popular, everyone says that ‘I am the one on the ground’. Apparently in politics everyone is on the ground, everyone is popular in their own assessment, but the party makes an informed decision. It is quite a very difficult balancing act that sometimes you even have to disappoint people that you have worked with, people who have been very loyal to you. But the bigger picture is that the party comes first against the individual interests.”
Chama said ambitious party members should be patient and wait for the next election.
“There is always a next time for those who are ambitious, but some people are so ambitious that if it doesn’t go their way, they want to go the other way to stand as independent candidates. It is unfortunate but that is the nature of politics sometimes and the nature of human beings. Not everyone that smiles at you loves you, people can smile at you, they can say a lot of good things about you but behind your back they say something else. That is life!” he said.
And Chama added that President Edgar Lungu had chosen Professor Nkandu Luo as his running mate because he wanted to work with someone he was comfortable with.
He urged the party members to support Prof Luo.
“All the time, we have said that the way our Constitution has been tailored, the running mate to the President or any presidential candidate for that matter, it is the personal choice of a President. The President must choose a person who he or she believes that this person will add value. There is a lot of information that the President gathers. There is only one position of a running mate and this is a preserve of the President who makes his decision. Sometimes he cannot even consult because it is the preserve of the President. He must feel comfortable that they will be able to work in harmony. You don’t want to find a partner that you are going to work with, you are in conflict or someone who will be praying that you die so that this person takes over. It will be very uncomfortable!” Chama said.
“The President has made a decision and for me it is the correct decision, I think our Constitution also has certain clauses that talk about gender balancing. We must be sensitive to make sure that we bring in as many women in leadership as possible. Our party and our President have been promoters of gender balancing to make sure that we bring on board as many women as possible in positions of leadership. For me it is a good decision and every member must support Professor Nkandu Luo to make sure that the party grows and that the party wins on 12th August.”