Opposition leaders schooled in intraparty democracy
By CHITE MTONGA OPPOSITION political party leaders cannot claim that they will turn into democrats overnight when they ascend to Presidency of the land as intra party democracy should act as a measure for real democracy, Patriots for Economic Progress(PEP) president Sean Tembo has said.
Commenting on African Union Economic and Social council (AU-ECOSU) continental representative, Joseph Chilengi’s statement that opposition political party leaders who were consistently losing national elections, yet were holding on to party leadership, were a danger to continental democracy, Mr Tembo said democracy should be reflective at political party level.
Mr Tembo said that opposition political party leaders who did not respect intra party democracy were a threat to the country’s democracy.
“If it so happens that an opposition political party leader who does not believe in intra party democracy becomes president, do you expect that they will automatically become democrats, no!
“The country’s democracy will be compromised, because you do not expect a person who failed to display tenets of democracy at party level to miraculously become democratic, so such individuals are a real threat to a country’s democracy,” he said.
Mr Tembo warned Zambians to be on the lookout for political party leaders who had no respect for intra party democracy.
He said it was embarrassing that a democratic country like Zambia still had opposition political party leaders who were afraid of subjecting themselves to elections within the party.
“To some of us, we look at failure by opposition leaders to go for a convention as a sign of cowardice and lack of courage to face the party members to check whether they are still relevant within your party,” Mr Tembo said.
He appealed to political parties in the country to exercise intra party democracy to ensure that all members are given an opportunity to vie for various positions.
Mr Tembo said politicians should not run political parties like personal to holder clubs as it was putting the countries renowned democracy in disrepute internationally.