THE RETURN OF ECL TO ACTIVE POLITICS- Kelly’s Kaunda

THE RETURN OF ECL TO ACTIVE POLITICS

By Kelly’s Kaunda

According to ECL, the sixth President, he was returning to active politics because he could not stand idly by and watch PF politically mutilated and rendered incapable of playing any meaningful role in the country’s democratic space. The immediate and most obvious trigger for what is, at any level, the most significant decision any former head of state can make, is the dramatic decision by Miles Sampa to hold a convention that elected him President of the Patriotic Front (PF) and the developments that have been unfolding since then.

Several questions immediately arise, among them: what difference will ECL make to the internal politics of the PF? Will Miles Sampa bow out of the way for ECL? Do we see the end of the legal wrangles that PF is engulfed in? How much of a challenge will PF under ECL be to HH, UPND and its alliance partners in government? Will or should the opposition rally behind ECL and form an alliance with PF for purposes of mounting a united front against the ruling party?

I do not have all the answers to these questions. In fact, I have more questions than answers. Even some of the answers I have, am not sure how satisfactory they are. All I know is that the dynamics of politics are bound to undergo some degree of change and uncertainty occasionally. My immediate contribution to this development is that I wish the country did not come to this. I wish PF had moved on without ECL returning to active politics. It’s not fair that we should be recalling public servants who have done their part.

Getting someone out of retirement is an indictment on those that had accepted the button of leadership as having failed to move beyond the point where the predecessor left off. It’s missing the opportunity to grow a new generation of leaders who had been honing their skills as they served under the leader that has done his part and retired leaving the stage for others. In parenthood, no parent takes joy in being called to resolve the marital problems of his or her children. While parents will not shun such calls, children must understand that it’s more joyous to bring grand children into the lives of aging folks than problems.

There is no guarantee that a PF under ECL will be a united one and formidable enough to move HH, UPND and its alliance partners in any significant direction. The same way that there were those that had the courage to oppose his leadership while PF was in office is the same way that there will be those that will oppose his come-back. Secondly, this is not the first time that a former President has returned to active politics in the history of Zambia. Kaunda did with far-reaching implications for both KK and UNIP, the former ruling party. FJT moved mountains – both political and legal to ensure Kaunda and UNIP were forever consigned to the remotest part of Zambia’s political boundaries.

Mwanawasa did not appreciate a politically active predecessor and did whatever he could to reduce FJT to a paper tiger. He largely succeeded. RB had tried to stage a comeback of sorts but, like it is in a tight soccer tournament, was marked at every move. He ended up rendering his support to another political player convinced that there was no appetite for his politics. The common thread running through the politics of former Presidents who had tried to remain politically active is that the incumbent did not treat them lightly. They went after them with every tool in the political play book. HH takes everything around ECL seriously and will therefore leave no stone unturned to go after him. It’s the name of the game. Like the cliché goes: don’t hate the player, hate the game.

While this has been the history of politics as it concerns former Heads of State who have tried to come back, it’s not to suggest that the outcome will always be the same. Politics may have precedents, but the latter does not fix nor accurately predict the future. It’s only for purposes of facilitating intelligent analyses or intelligent guesses. Looking at precedents is a way of admitting that as human beings we do not have the same predictive capabilities as those of the Most High.