POLITICAL HEALING

THAT the gap between the Patriotic Front (PF) and the United Party for National Development (UPND) has narrowed on dialogue, gives hope to the nation that indeed reconciliation is in the offing. It is pleasing that both parties have foregone preconditions and are intent on getting to the round-table. However, it will be prudent for UPND, PF and other stakeholders to forestall any fresh acrimony. The back tracking on either side would be uncalled. They should maintain an affable tone as they speak about dialogue and also take a step forward towards preparatory work under their respective offices of their Secretaries General. Perhaps, stakeholders now need to agree and spell out what roles Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) and the church would play. 3erhaps, the two selected bodies could co-chair. If this is the only way to get the opposing parties to meet, then it is worth consideration. It seems now that he Commonwealth will play an observer role after UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema proposed that the Church should chair the talks. At this stage, politicians and stakeholder groups should desist from issuing hot-air media statements that have the potential to scuttle the process. In fact, political leaders in the lower echelons should not get to ant-hills to scream blue murder against members in the opposite camps about dialogue or any other subject. It is time to embrace humility in all political discourse, lest the tide is disturbed again. All political players must realise that getting to the round-table is not a contest, but a process to thrash out misunderstandings and set the tone for political healing. There are so many matters that are lingering and if they remain hanging, political intolerance and violence will continue. nemesis explodes. Therefore, to reconcile this is before an opportune tension in time the political for political space Head Raila Yes, Odinga of reference State ceased Uhuru has hostilities. been Kenyatta made and to Kenya opposition where leader the pledged The two total leaders commitment magnanimously to peace and reconciled development. and demonstrate In the same that vein, truly political they are leaders committed in Zambia to dialogue. must Dialogue will present a pleasant opportunity to address issues pertaining to the Republican Constitution, Public Order Act, Electoral Act and the electoral process. All the while, politicians have engaged in the war of words and in some extreme cases, red-hot insults. For once, economic and social development should dominate political discourse among leaders of varying inclinations. Politicians in the ruling and opposition parties must be able to demonstrate publicly that they can exchange ideas about national development without any tinge of resentment. We are aware though that politicians from both sides of the divide speak civility away from public glare. Alas, when they get to the public podium, especially with cameras zooming in front, they adjust the tone to portray that they can never meet eye-to-eye when in fact the opposite is true. Zambians are yearning to witness UPND and PF and another interested leaders share a platform to articulate various issues affecting the nation in a sober and respectful manner. It will be interesting and uniting for opposition and ruling party leaders to regularly exchange economic innovations collectively. They will certainly be sowing a seed of peace and unity to stand a test of time. Indeed, political healing is in the offing.