UPND to replace GBM with Kalaba - Lifwekelo
THE UPND is currently on a dialysis machine and in its desperate move to gain stability, the party wants to replace its vice president Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba with Harry Kalaba, former UPND deputy spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo has claimed. And Mr Lifwekelo has urged Zambians to ignore detractors that were bent on tarnishing the name of Government for political mileage. In an interview with the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Lifwekelo who is a senior PF member said the opposition UPND under Mr Hakainde Hichilema was a failed project which was desperately trying to redeem itself by bringing in Bahati constituency Member of Parliament Harry Kalaba as vice president to replace Mr Mwamba. He was reacting to the directives of the UPND leadership in Southern Province to its members to accord Mr Kalaba a befitting reception as he toured the province. UPND provincial deputy information and publicity secretary Neto Halwabala directed the party members in the region to accord Mr Kalaba a befitting reception as he toured the province saying it was good that the former foreign affairs minister regretted having supported President Lungu in the last Presidential election. “Having Hakainde Hichilema as president of UPND even when he has lost elections five times in a row, is like putting a patient in permanent coma and then claim he is in stable condition. Currently, UPND is on dialysis machine. In its current form, the UPND is as good as a dead horse, you cannot package Hakainde Hichilema to attract membership. “We have no problem with UPND directing their members to support and accord Mr Kalaba a befitting reception as he tours Southern Province. But we know that they want to replace GBM with Kalaba, and why are they not going further by replacing Hakainde with Kalaba? The UPND is a failed project with Hakainde at the helm,” Mr Lifwekelo, said. Mr Lifwekelo added, “My advice to GBM is that let him stop pretending that all is well in UPND because he is just being used by Hichilema for selfish motives and will soon be dumped. Even Kalaba himself and others should be wary that the support they are receiving from UPND members is not genuine, they will be used to perpetuate Hakainde’s interests and dumped.” He appealed to Mr Mwamba and others to go back to PF where he said the door was still open for them. “My appeal to GBM, Kalaba and those that may have left PF for various reasons is that there is still room for them to say sorry and come back than demonising the party that built them using political platforms that have no future,” he said. Mr Lifwekelo said it was morally wrong for PF members that were accusing the PF Government of being corrupt to cling on the party and urged Zambians to ignore such individuals.