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The opposition Leadership Movement Party has accused the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) of instigating by-elections in the country.
Party Secretary-General, Jairos Ngoma, expressed disappointment with the UPND’s decision to instigate by-elections at the expense of national development.
During the weekly media briefing on Saturday in Lusaka, Ngoma noted that the by-elections were a drain to the treasury and should be avoided at all cost in order to channel the same resources to other needy areas.
He advised young politicians to always put the interest of the nation at heart, as the money which government spent on by-elections was a lot and that it could be channeled to other developmental areas.
“We are warning you United Party for National Development (UPND), stop triggering
unnecessary by-elections which are avoidable as they are a drain to the national coffers,” Ngoma emphasized.
The Secretary-General also called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to proceed and hold the by-election in Mayembe despite alleged resignation of the party candidate, Jason Mwanza.
He described the step taken by Mwanza as “nonsensical” which had forced the Commission to postpone the by-election because it was wasting taxpayers money.
“My signature is the one on the adoption papers and that the party has not said anything in regard to the resignation of Mwanza, therefore, the resignation is null and void especially that the party has not recieved the resignation letter,” Ngoma stated.
He said Mwanza had not visited the party Secretariat to make it official.
On the issue of Barotse land agreement, Ngoma commended President Hakainde Hichilema for taking a strong stand against people who were agitating for abolition of Western Province.
“As a nation there is need to stick to the unitary state, but it is unfortunate that the late former president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda who signed the agreement when Zambia was getting independence is now no more and the same people failed to approach him when he was alive,” he said.
Ngoma added that his party supported Hichilema’s stance of not allowing the said proposal of dividing the country into two.
He likened the stance as that of taking the country to stone age that would result in a lot of confusion for the locals that were now comfortable with the current status quo of
them being Zambians.
“The only way to solve the current wrangles in the Barotse land issues is to bring massive developments and equitable distribution of the national cake and developing all parts of the country uniformly,” Ngoma advised.
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