UNITED KWACHA ALLIANCE IS BORN
NINE political parties have come together to form the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA), a movement meant to challenge the UPND in 2026 and change the economic fortunes of the country.
The nine political parties have announced that UKA shall soon be registered with the Registrar of Societies so that it could begin to work without any form of impediments
And Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) president Jackson Silavwe has proposed for a neutral mediator towards resolving the standoff between the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) and the Zambian government.
Mr Silavwe said the Barotseland issue was a sensitive subject that needs the intervention of a neutral mediator weather international or local like a representative from the house of chiefs.
He said the conduct of the UPND government was threatening the peace and security of the nation especially the pronouncement by President Hakainde Hichilema that there was no Barotseland.
“The Northern Island conflict in which a lot of lives were lost ended in a good agreement at the table, the brutal war in Angola ended at Mulungushi Conference Center here at home here in Lusaka at the table,” Mr Silavwe said.
Mr Silavwe said UKA was calling for dialogue not only on the Barotseland issue but also on a range of governance issues including endemic poverty and deep national divisions that have caused stagnation in Zambia’s quest for development.
He said the Barotseland issue will not go away by Presidential decree but through a round table in a genuine respectful dialogue.
Mr Silavwe said to kick start the agenda the country needs a marital plan especially for the under developed provinces in the country.
He said people in some parts of the country feels marginalized and left behand in the development agenda and in having access to social amenities and employment.
Mr Silavwe said as UKA the feel that the country needs province specific martial development plan to address the poverty and hunger.
He said the country needs not to underestimate the cries for development from the provinces and from the voices from the traditional groupings.
Mr Silavwe said the time for dialogue was now, the growing discontent from the provinces was a clear indication that people feel that the developmental path the country has taken on was not representative of everyone.
Meanwhile Christian Democratic Party (CDP) president who has just joined the alliance said the UPND had inflicted so much pain on the people through policies that were increasing poverty.
Political parties that were represented included Citizens First (CF) president Harry Kalaba, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi, Golden Party of Zambia (GPZ) president Jackson Silavwe, National Democratic Congress (NDC) president Saboi Imboela, New Heritage Party (NHP) president Chishala Kateka, Patriotic Front (PF) President Dr Edgar Lungu, who is Zambia’s Sixth President, United Liberation Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikikota SC and Christian Democratic Party, Dr Dan Pule.