By Elias Sakala cic Private Reporter.
LUSAKA ~Lusaka
20.09.2020
TOP FDD LEADERS DITCH NAWAKWI FOR UPND.
….Nawakwi’s party in limbo after its chairperson for Agriculture, Emack Kaoma and his Tourism counterpart, Harriet Mukololo join UPND.
THE Forum for Democracy and Development – FDD has suffered another political setback following the defection of two of its senior party officials who have since joined the United Party for National Development-UPND.
The two, who include FDD’s Chairperson for Agriculture, Emack Kaoma and Tourism Committee chairperson, Harriet Mukololo cited poor leadership and lack of policy direction from the Party President, Edith Nawakwi as the reasons for ditching the Party.
In her speech, Ms Mukololo, who thanked Ms Nawakwi for allowing her to serve as Chairperson for Tourism portfolio under the FDD, challenged Ms Nawakwi, who has waged a relentless privatization war against President Hichilema to shift her attention from the privatization issue which she oversaw as then Finance Minister, to the more recent economic hardships facing Zambians.
She stated that she was ashamed to identify her self with the FDD because the party has no structures and policy direction, saying that each time she went to mobilize her party on the ground, people questioned her mental sanity for supporting a party that was being run like an NGO.
“The FDD has no structures and its policy direction is not clearly defined. The party has no structures on the ground, people on the ground wonder whether am normal upstairs. If I go to the Secretariat, they tell, ‘awe mayo! Niba Nawakwi fye abene’,” she stated.
In affirming his decision to join the UPND, Mr Kaoma stated that it was a relief for him to ditch the FDD, a Party because it has deviated from the ideals and values on which it was founded.
“I now feel a heavy load has been removed from my shoulders because the FDD that I belonged to has moved from its ideals and values. I want to be on the right side of history. My heart has always been for the people and I feel the vision for the UPND fits in well. I believe, together, we shall end the suffering of this country,” he charged.
And UPND Secretary General-SG-Stephen Katuka, in his welcoming remarks called on the old party members to embrace the new members, stating that there was neither old or new member in the UPND.
He also encouraged the old UPND members to embrace the new members, stating that there were no old or new members in the UPND and that those joining the party would add a lot of value and help the party form Government.
“You are warmly welcome to the UPND family. If you have any issues with anybody, please feel free to come and see me. I lead an open door policy. In the UPND, in my father’s house, there are many rooms. The UPND is a Party of choice. In this Party, there are no new members. When you join this party, you are as good as the old members,” he said.
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