There is reported acrimony in the UKA opposition alliance – President Lungu’s possible candidature in 2026. It seems some members do not want him to lead the Alliance into the election.
I have to say that I find that conversation amusing. You see,
it’s crazy that any of the other Presidents can even argue against the fact that EL is the natural, undisputed leader of that grouping. If not EL, then who?
Only he has a real support base and individual political standing. Come on, UKA is, in real terms, EL’s vehicle to get around the government’s messing with PF. Simply, UKA is PF1.
This conversation reminds one of similar complaints when UPND was in opposition. Presidents of parties, that could not win a council seat, would whine that HH wanted to lead any Alliance. I would think – but of course🤷🏾♀️. Under what logical considerations would HH have deputised Sean Tembo, for example?
Similarly, there is no one in UKA that, without submitting to the ridiculous, can expect President Lungu to deputise them.
What makes all this difficult for the Alliance is that President Lungu is such a flawed candidate. He is one UKA would have to campaign for while barely mentioning his time in office.
Essentially, the message to Zambians would have to be – he will no longer allow cadres to terrorise citizens, he will be a present leader who discusses policy and does not avoid interviews, he will not borrow and waste billions.
The messaging, in other words, would not be on his strengths, would try to bury his major weaknesses then fully maximise the perceived failings of his successor.
Not easy!
The best for UKA, me thinks, would be for EL to support someone else. In other words, the only way someone else effectively leads the Alliance, is if EL voluntarily stands down and lends his supporters to the chosen candidate, by campaigning for them.
Whatever they each might imagine, the person that can be a solid replacement for EL is, unfortunately, not any of the Presidents that currently make up UKA. They have to look in wider PF.
AT AN OPPORTUNE TIME UKA WILL CHOOSE A LEADER, UNFORTUNATELY PF MEMBERS ARE ALREADY CONCLUSIVE ON ONLY LUNGU WHEN THE ORGANISATION HAS NOT YET SETTLED FOR ANYONE YET, IT IS THIS PF CONFUSION THAT PEOPLE WERE WERRY ABOUT WHEN LUNGU JOINED UKA BECAUSE THOSE WHO WORKED WITH HIM SEE IT AS A CHANCE TO COME BACK THROUGH HIM AND NO ONE ELSE HENCE THEIR PERSISTENT VOCALISATION TO INSTILL HIM IN EVERYONES HEAD.
WHAT THEY SHOULD ASK THEM SELVES IS, DOES HE HAVE THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP CREDENTIALS? IS HE COMING BACK FOR HIMSELF OR THE COUNTRY? IS HE ABLE TO SORT OUT THE CURRENT PROBLEMS MOST OF WHICH HE CREATED? CAN HE THIS TIME AROUND CONTROL HOS UNRULLY CADRES?, CAN HE WEAN HIMSELF FROM KNOWN FAILURES AND ABUSERS OF POWER FROM AMOUNG HIS FORMER MINISTERS?. IS HE PRESIDENTIAL?.
Imingalato mu UKWA bag!