WE HAVE ADVANCED IN CHOOSING ALLIANCE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE…some of the things Kambwili talked about might well be factors, says Milupi
By Patson Chilemba
We have made advancements in choosing a presidential candidate for the opposition alliance, says the alliance’s chairperson Charles Milupi.
Speaking with Daily Revelation on National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader Chishimba Kambwili’s statement that he saw no reason why UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema should not be the alliance’s presidential candidates if indications showed that his party was the biggest opposition in the country, Milupi said the opposition was now in a position of creating an electoral pact, where they could no longer compete against each other in elections.
“So just to give you a heads up there are certain advancements that we have made obviously in choosing who is going to be our flag carrier, in other words a presidential candidate for the opposition alliance,” Milupi said. “There are certain factors that we take in place, so some of the things that Mr Kambwili has talked about might well be factors that we take in place. We are not stupid, so we take these factors in place.”
Milupi, who is also Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) leader, said as the alliance was composed of various political parties, who were not surrogate of any political party, there were certain conditions that whosever they decided to be the flag carrier, should meet certain conditions that must satisfy other alliance partners.
“As of now no political party President within the alliance has fulfilled those conditions. So because of that we still do not have an electoral pact, we do not have an opposition alliance presidential candidate,” Milupi said. “So what Honourable Chishimba Kambwili, president of NDC has said is an opinion which is probably shared by other people, but the opposition alliance carries out work in a rational manner.”
Milupi said there were certain things that must be met, and once this was done the public would be informed.
“Patson, number one, we go to one candidate and say you are the presidential candidate, in your own opinion who should be running mate? Where does the running mate come from? Look at Malawi where did the running mate come from? Did he come from the same party? Yah those are just some of the examples,” Milupi said. “So as an example we might well say out of the remaining alliance members maybe one is picked as a running mate. Number two, when you go now to parliamentary elections do these alliance members who are now in an electoral pact, do they compete in the same constituency? No, it doesn’t make sense. So you you will have to decide which party is going to field where.”
Milupi said the same goes for mayors, council chairpersons and councillors as parties had different strengths and were popular in certain areas.
“This electoral pact will result in one presidential candidate, in one running and will result in one situation where in constituencies for members of parliament we have candidates that don’t fight among themselves as opposition alliance,” Milupi said. “For example I as Milupi president of ADD you might find that I am in Mporokoso campaigning for the MP for the NDC, it’s not a problem. So this is what we are doing.”
Milupi said the other aspect they were looking into was the name for the alliance.
“Do we use a neutral name or do we use a name if the existing party because these are matters that we are still discussing. In Malawi what did they do? We have a long established party, Malawi Congress Party, this is the party that was formed before independence. But they called themselves Tilitonse,” Milupi said. “When we have finished this we shall come to the country and say now we are an electoral pact and you will not hear us compete because our candidates will be common to all of us. And we shall also reveal then we have decided on a vehicle, are we using one of the parties for example where the presidential candidate is coming from? Or are we going for a neutral name..we haven’t concluded on those factors. What you have heard from the chairman is the complete story.” -Daily Revelation