UPND “making up” political crisis - NAREP

THE UPND have failed to show leadership and are holding Zambians at ransom by faking a political crisis just to have international sympathy, says National Restoration Party (NAREP) national secretary Ezra Ngulube.

In an interview with the Daily Nation, Mr Ngulube charged that the UPND had run out of ideas to maintain their relevance among its supporters when they allege that Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) had no capacity to manage the national dialogue.

He said if ZCID managed to bring together late PF president Michael Sata and then republican President and MMD leader Levy Mwanawasa, “they managed to reduce the tension that was there between Sata and Mwanawasa, who is HH?” Mr Ngulube wondered.

He said for UPND to suggest ZCID could not be trusted with regards to dialogue then UPND are saying they cannot trust themselves as they were members of the same ZCID.

He said it was a self-confession by the leading opposition party that they had no confidence in their role as an alternative Government for the Zambian people.

He said the UPND have been championing an agenda to attract international sympathy, but that even the Commonwealth had already showed direction to go the ZCID way.

“The Commonwealth secretary general’s special envoy, Professor Gambari clearly said they were just there to facilitate and not to lead the dialogue. It is a Zambian process that is supposed to be managed by the Zambian people.

“So for them to start beating about the bush, they just want to extend their relevance to the people because they have run out of options,” he said.

He said they had continued to cry over the failed elections which had created a UPND crisis among themselves.

He said while they have refused to recognise the Patriotic Front (PF) Government, its Members of Parliament have continued to attend sittings in the National Assembly.

Mr Ngulube said the Zambian people should not make a mistake to give power to the UPND which had failed to provide even just a little development in their constituencies, including councillors despite getting allowances from Government.

“And they keep telling their members that they were not part of Government while their MPs continue obtaining allowances from the Government. How can they get allowances from a Government they did not belong to?” he said.

He explained that as long as an MP sits in Parliament, councillors, mayors and council chairpersons were part of the Government and received allowances yet they have failed to deliver development to their people. “I would like to urge everybody involved at whatever state of this dialogue that Zambia is ready to dialogue and if UPND is not ready let them remain. They are not Zambia, let them remain.