SEAN Tembo says opposition political parties such as the UPND, MMD and NDC should consider developing and presenting their respective alternative solutions to Zambia’s economic problems through alternative national budgets.
Announcing the Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP)’s completion of the 2021 Alternative National Budget, Tembo, the party leader, the country would not make progress for as long as it has empty opposition leaders whose only offer to the electorate are songs like “Mwakole”.
He said if all opposition political parties were to develop and present alternative national budgets, it would give the Zambian voters a better opportunity to analyse and choose their preferred political parties on the basis of their plans for the nation should they be given an opportunity by the Zambian people to preside over the affairs of the country.
Tembo noted that PeP remained the only opposition party in Zambia that had been consistently and continuously developing and presenting alternative national budgets since its formation in October 2016.
“As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP), it gives us great pleasure to inform the nation that the development of the PeP 2021 Alternative National Budget is now complete. Our 2021 Alternative National Budget shall be presented to the nation on Thursday, 8th October 2021. Our decision to move forward the development and presentation of the PeP 2021 Alternative National Budget was partly motivated by the need to give the Parliament of Zambia an opportunity to consider our alternative national budget during its debate of the official national budget,” Tembo said.
He said in the PeP 2021 alternative national budget he would give a detailed review of the main economic policies implemented by government in the past year, a detailed review of policy changes proposed by government in the 2021 official national budget.
“Thirdly a detailed presentation of the PeP proposed economic reforms for 2021 and fourth; a detailed presentation of the PeP proposed expenditure and resource envelope for 2021,” Tembo said.
The PeP leader recalled that the last time any other opposition party ever developed and presented an alternative national budget was in 2004 by the late UPND president Anderson Mazoka.
“As Patriots for Economic Progress, we wish to take this opportunity to place it on record that we remain the only opposition political party in this country that has been consistently and continuously developing and presenting alternative national budgets since our formation in October 2016,” Tembo bragged.
“As Patriots for Economic Progress, we further wish to seize this occasion to appeal to other opposition political parties such as the UPND, the MMD and the NDC, to consider developing and presenting their respective alternative solutions to Zambia’s economic problems, through alternative national budgets. If all opposition political parties were to develop and present alternative national budgets, it would give the Zambian voters a better opportunity to analyse and chose their preferred political party on the basis of such a political party’s plans for this nation, should they be given an opportunity by the Zambian people to preside over the affairs of this Republic,” he said.
“Indeed, time and again, political leaders have accused the Zambian voter of being shallow and only voting on the basis of a song. However, our view is that it is unreasonable for us as political leaders to rush to condemn the Zambian voter of being shallow and voting only on the basis of a song when the only thing that we offer the Zambian voter is a song.”
Tembo said his party believed that time was ripe for opposition leaders in Zambia to transform themselves and begin to offer tangible alternative solutions to the electorates.
He said such a transformation would allow the electorate to choose their preferred leaders on merit.
“Indeed, we cannot make progress as a nation for as long as we have empty opposition leaders whose only offer to the electorate are songs such as ‘Mwankole’,” he said.
Tembo revealed that the theme for the PeP 2021 alternative national budget is ‘Prudent Management of Zambia’s Resources for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development’.
He said the theme underscored the fact that Zambia’s current and past economic problems primarily arise from poor management of national resources.
“Therefore, in order to defeat our economic problems and rise as a prosperous nation that is devoid of poverty and squalor among its citizens, we do not need to borrow from anyone. We do not need an IMF bailout package, we do not need handouts from the international community. What we need is to prudently manage our resources so as to achieve sustainable growth and development for ourselves,” Tembo said.
He further stated that once the PeP 2021 alternative National Budget is released this Thursday, it shall be submitted to all key stakeholders including the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Zambia, the National Assembly, Church mother bodies, progressive civil society organisations and fellow opposition political parties such as UPND, NDC and MMD that might not have the capacity to develop their own respective alternative national budgets.