UPND WEST TENSION MOUNTS

TENSION has gripped the UPND in Western Province with the ousted faction insisting that no one will stop them from contesting the forthcoming provincial intraparty elections under the party ticket because they have sweated for it.

Insiders fear that the confrontation may between rival factions in the party may lead to bloodshed.

And former UPND Vice

President for Politics Canicious Banda has said the party must transform itself from a vehicle for the assertion of ethnic pride to one that embraces all citizens to ensure development of the nation.

Deposed Western Province chairperson Musunga Njamba has vowed that his group will not be stopped from contesting forthcoming by elections on the party ticket because they have done too much to be tossed out.

Mr Njamba said in a telephone interview, “no one will stop us from contesting the forthcoming provincial intraparty elections because my committee has delivered results for the part. “

Confusion is over who gets adopted for the provincial positions and fire is bound to ignite among the factions.

The contestation between the two rival camps follows a hasty decision by UPND chairperson for elections, Gary Nkombo to dissolve and replace the executive Committee in the Province over rampant defections of elected officials, a decision which has been secretly reversed by his boss, Hakainde Hichilema.

This has also led to violent clashes between the two rival factions.

He said the dissolved committee has delivered results for the party and that it was not right for anyone to accuse it of non performance.

"We have not been chased from the UPND and no one will stop us from contesting positions, because I believe our committee was dissolved to pave way for elections," Mr Njamba said.

Mr Njamba said UPND is a democractic party and his committee does not need approval to contest the elections.

"If they are saying we have not performed let us go for elections so that members can decide whether we have performed or not because we believe we have performed very well," Mr Njamba said.

He boasted that his committee has produced 184 councillors, 15 council chairpersons and produced 16 members of Parliament.

Mr Njamba said UPND is a democratic party therefore it was not right to dissolve a committee over a baseless issue.

"The people will decide whether to retain us or not and no a single individual will bar us from contesting the elections," Mr Njamba said.

And Dr Banda said it was not surprising that the UPND was engulfed with leadership battles because that was the legacy that Mr Hichilema had introduced.

He said UPND would never form government for as long as remains an instrument for the emancipation of Tongas.

He said the tension between Mr Hichilema and Mr Nkombo Was as a result of leadership failure by Mr Hichilema's continued stay as UPND president because now he was failing to trust his closet friends.

Dr Banda said the permanence of Hichilema as leader was a weakness as had now been typified by the shift of his nickname from the dignified 'Kachema' to the elitist and decadent 'Bally.'

Dr Banda said the wrangles in the UPND is as result of failure by the organization to evolve.

He said Mr Hichilema has been UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has been leader for over 20 years and that has become a source of conflict because there are some members who were infants when he took over and adults now and would want to take over.

Dr Banda said Mr Hichilema was running the party like a private limited company as opposed to a political party.