UPND WANTS TO GO UNOPPOSED IN AUGUST ELECTIONS, CLAIMS MUNDUBILE

UPND WANTS TO GO UNOPPOSED IN AUGUST ELECTIONS, CLAIMS MUNDUBILE.

Wednesday, 15 April 2026 (News Diggers)

TONSE Alliance leader Brian Mundubile has claimed that the UPND wants President Hakainde Hichilema to go unopposed in the August polls like the intra-party elections.

Commenting on President Hichilema’s going unopposed as party President, Mundubile in an interview, Monday, accused the UPND of disadvantaging “strong opponents”.

“Elections are there to get feedback, when you go for elections, those that have been given an opportunity to serve, it’s time for them to get feedback. If they have worked hard, they should not be worried about competition because then they will re-evaluate their positioning. So, you don’t succeed by oppressing all those that have divergent views, all those that have alternatives.

So, if you look at how UPND has handled their intra-party elections, you begin to understand that, that is the same method they would like to reflect at a national level. Where they think President Hakainde Hichilema should be the only one to stand, denying the Zambian people an opportunity to choose the leaders that they want. We have seen them go to great lengths and try to destabilise the internal affairs of political parties. We have seen them going all out, trying to disfranchise and disadvantage those they view as strong opponents,” he said.

“So, the sum total of all these is that we have a political party in power today led by President Hakainde Hichilema displaying undemocratic tendencies both at intra-party level and indeed at a national level, that is unfortunate. Zambia decided a couple of years ago, over 36 years ago to move away from [one party state]”.

Mundubile said President Hakainde Hichilema was not ready to face competition.

“Look at how we are all being harassed as political opponents, harassment of political opponents a few months from the elections, coming up with all manner of charges and allegations which allegations never came up in the past five years, all points to the fact that he is not ready to face competition. He is not ready to face fierce competition, he has been governing this country for the past five years. So, if indeed he has achieved 95 percent, he should be the most comfortable person sitting and willing to go for elections, willing to compete with anyone. But when you see manoeuvres, when you start seeing imigalato, that’s a constructive admission to the fact that he has failed to deliver,” he said.

“You can only be uncomfortable, you only become insecure if you haven’t delivered. So, the insecurity we are seeing in the UPND government to try and destabilise Hakainde’s competitors is admission that he has not performed and because he has not performed. He is becoming insecure against any form of competition”.

Meanwhile, commenting on UPND Deputy Spokesperson Elvis Nkandu’s remarks that party members who wanted to challenge President Hichilema in the intra-party election would come out with zero votes, Mundubile said the statement reflected undemocratic tendencies.

“It’s only a democratic party that will later respect the democratic institutions of the state if they are given chance to govern. So, when you see undemocratic tendencies and statements coming from political leaders defending undemocratic tendencies in the political parties, it should be a source of concern because that will reflect on the undemocratic tendencies even at international level. When a leader has performed, it’s the people to respond to how they view the achievements, but if those that claim to have achieved are the only ones who are able to see the achievements it becomes most unfortunate. Because the challenges the country is facing are the same ones, members of the UPND may be facing. When you talk about the state of the economy, it does not exclude members of the UPND,” he said.

“Members of the UPND have gone through the same problems of load shedding, some farmers suffered no payment also from the UPND, the youths who are complaining about employment opportunities. So, when they see a list of 4,000 police officers being recruited privately, leaving out those that may not have the privilege, they have the same complaint. The youths today in creative arts are complaining, they don’t have opportunities, they have got talent, they have worked so hard but the government is not there to support them”.

Mundubile urged the UPND government to observe and respect democratic tendencies.

“We want to urge the UPND, they must strictly observe democratic tendencies, they must strictly respect democratic institutions, to ensure that all those who are eligible to stand, eligibility of citizens to stand as president is enshrined in the Constitution, it is therefore horrendous for the UPND to begin to look for subordinate legislation that could now begin to prescribe and disadvantage other political opponents. We have to stick to what the Constitution says, eligibility of the presidential candidate is enshrined in the constitution, so any subordinate legislation that contradicts what is in the constitution is null and void,” said Mundubile.

“I am very prepared [for the elections] and the will of the Zambian people is going to prevail. The will of the Zambian people is that let’s go for elections, create a level playing field and the Zambian people will choose who they would want to lead them into the next election. So, I am very prepared, I am eligible according to the Constitution and I am ready to stand and face President Hakainde Hichilema in a fair competition and the Zambian people will judge, let the best man win”

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