THE UPND says it has taken note of a number of reports alleging that some aspiring candidates are actively distributing inducements to constituency, district, provincial and national leadership officials in a quest to secure an adoption on the party ticket in the forthcoming general elections.
In a statement yesterday, UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda said the party’s posture towards all forms of corruption and manipulation of systems for personal gain is aggressively adverse.
He warned that any individual aspiring candidates or officials, against whom any such repugnant allegations of corruption and manipulative tactics would be proved in the party’s adoption process, shall be dealt with decisively.
“We are a democratic party and shall endeavour to practice democratic tenets openly,” Imenda said. “Democracy must not only be practiced but should also be seen to be practiced. Any practices that are shrouded in secrecy and go against openness are alien to the UPND and will, therefore, not be entertained.”
He reminded the party’s general membership that it is proposing to enter leadership to correct the culture of corruption which has become endemic and is costing ordinary Zambians opportunities for employment, education, healthcare and entrepreneurship.
Imenda said the UPND would not allow corruption to become a part of the party.
“We are urging all our aspiring candidates across all levels to focus on building relationships with the electorate and highlighting our core messages of constructive change,” said Imenda. “Further, all our party officials are encouraged to desist from entertaining any form of inappropriate pre-adoption behaviour from aspiring candidates and report all such candidates to the National Management Committee (NMC) for immediate corrective action.”