Shun ‘violent’ UPND, opposition leader urges Zambians

ZAMBIANS should avoid supporting UPND because the opposition party has resorted to violence in its quest to gain power at any cost, New Congress Party (NCP) leader Peter Chanda advised yesterday.

Mr Chanda emphasized that Zambians should not risk by voting for UPND whose leaders were full of anger and vengeance and had chosen violence in their relentless efforts to gain power. He told the Daily Nation in an interview that the type of leadership offered by the UPND was not inspiring because the party relied on violence as its main vehicle to gain power instead of dwelling on development issues. He said it was not clear what the UPND really wanted by its actions because it had been changing goal posts without specifying its desire. He said through its actions, it was clear the UPND was trying to find out how people would react to certain situations in order to satisfy its political interests and gain empathy from some sections of society. Mr Chanda said the UPND had exposed the type of leadership it would offer the people of Zambia, adding that the onus was now on Zambians to judge for themselves. He said, for instance, it was wrong to incite youths to fight each other. “We want politics of civility as opposed to what we are subjected to today. I have never seen the UPND condemn violence,” he said. He said it was unfortunate that youths were used to turn against each other when people behind them were safe at home with their children. He said, should the UPND resist change in the manner it did, it would continue to lose elections because it had become irrelevant.