By Given Mutinta
THE TEST OF INTERNAL DEMOCRACY: CHARLES LONGWE AND THE UPND ELECTIVE PROCESS
The United Party for National Development (UPND), currently holding the reins of national government, faces an internal challenge regarding its adherence to its own constitution concerning elective office holding.
A party member Charles Longwe asserts that the party and republican constitutions mandate elections through a convention for elective positions bringing the party’s sustained reliance on non-elective processes under sharp scrutiny.
Longwe’s concern is rooted in the explicit requirement for conventions to elect office bearers.
He rightly points out that the mandate of current office holders is nearing expiration, and their continued tenure without fresh electoral endorsement risks creating serious legal and legitimacy vacuums.
Except for the 2021 general elections, the UPND under President Hakainde Hichilema has largely bypassed the mandated elective convention, opting instead for appointments or processes that resemble coronation rather than genuine competition.
This pattern of avoiding internal electoral contests is significant because the credibility of a ruling party’s commitment to national democracy is intrinsically linked to its treatment of internal democracy.
If the fundamental document of the party is set aside for convenience at the top, it sets a dangerous precedent for future governance and intra-party relations.
The expectation is that a party that champions democratic reform in the nation should exemplify it within its own structures.
In addition, in light of the party and constitution of the country, when the mandate of current office holders expires, the continued occupation of these roles without a fresh election potentially exposes the party and its leadership to serious legal challenges concerning their authority to act on behalf of the organization.
A further layer of complexity arises from the observation that the current leadership, including the presidential candidate President Hakainde Hichilema and Secretary General Batuke Imenda, are perceived by some segments of the membership as unpopular. Their leadership style has failed to resonate with the party structures and grassroots.
Therefore, the UPND needs periodic elections as crucial feedback mechanisms, allowing for course correction and the infusion of new energy.
As a result of perpetually deferring elections, dissatisfaction has festered, leading to apathy and factionalism has weakened the party’s national appeal. For example, more than four UPND members of parliament did not vote for Bill 7.
The call for a convention, therefore, is not merely procedural; it is a demand for democratic renewal. Allowing challengers to contest existing positions enhances accountability.
If the incumbent leadership can successfully navigate a convention where genuine competition exists, their mandate will be substantially strengthened heading into national elections.
Conversely, forcing some unpopular incumbents to remain in place without the validation of a direct vote undermines internal morale and external credibility.
The UPND’s internal governance style also mirrors concerning trends observed at the national level regarding electoral competition.
Longwe’s implicit critique suggests a larger pattern in which the ruling party appears to be averse to electoral rivalry, even extending this tendency or “imingalato” to subtly influence or interfere with the operational spaces of opposition parties such as the Patriotic Front (PF), the largest opposition party, in order to minimise their challenge.
The UPND’s political culture of failing to wholeheartedly embrace robust competition nationally can be explained by its avoidance of competition internally.
Anderson Mazoka, unlike his predecessor President Hichilema, believed that true democracy thrives on competition, whether between parties or inside a single party organization, which set him apart in his leadership style.
The deliberate failure to hold conventions has created a climate in the UPND in which dissent is stifled or marginalised, resulting in a less dynamic and possibly less representative political entity. Otherwise, why should once-vibrant leaders like Mutale Nalumango, Gary Nkombo, Patrick Mucheleka, and Romeo Kang’ombe become as quiet as empty tombs?
The convention will determine whether the UPND prioritizes the smooth continuation of power through coronation or commits to the more challenging, yet ultimately strengthening, path of genuine, contested internal elections.
The UPND needs a new President and Secretary General to have a party in touch with its structures and grassroots, making Longwe’s principled stance on the UPND’s constitutional requirement for elective conventions a necessary stress test for the ruling party’s commitment to democratic ideals and an opportunity to bring in new blood with new ideas to ensure the party’s survival.
The shift from electoral processes to uncontested coronation has eroded the foundation of accountability, fostering a leadership disconnected from its structure and the grassroots.
For the UPND to maintain its standing as a proponent of good governance, it must adhere to its founding documents, permit open contestation for all elective posts, and allow its members to freely elect their leaders.
This internal democratic exercise is vital not only for the party’s cohesion but also for reinforcing the broader democratic fabric of the Zambian republic.
