By Staff Reporter
Chilubi member of parliament (PF) Mulenga Fube says former president Edgar Lungu would still be a viable candidate for 2026 if he floats his name and if he still has the support of the general membership.
And Fube said most PF members that have left have joined the Socialist Party (SP), but that having a PF president now is not a panacea to stopping members from leaving.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Fube said all those positioning themselves for the PF president would be viable candidates as long as they have the support of the general membership, and if the party marketed them effectively, including former president Lungu if he were to change his mind.
“Anyone who affiliates to a political party, including the former president if he had to float, so long he has got the support of the general membership and the Zambians is a viable candidate,” Fube said. “Anyone of these who are contesting, if the membership supported them and they are behind them and then they are also resonating with the Zambians, they are a viable candidate. That’s how politics are. It’s up to the political party to market a person.”
Fube insisted that it would be disastrous if the party went for the convention this June, and dismissed Chishimba Kambwili’s assertions that he was being used to push that position by some people in the party.
Kambwili argued that it was almost like killing the party to fail to have a substantive president nine months after losing the elections, and that members were leaving the party, but Fube said that does not matter.
“And when you look at the issue of saying how many we remain and so forth. How many we remain doesn’t matter. Even when people have left I can tell you that even up to 2026 officially PF will still be identified as the biggest opposition in the country, because it has 60 MPs and councilors,” he said.
But asked if he did not view the SP as a threat, particularly that he had mentioned that people who were leaving PF were joining Dr Fred M’membe’s party and given the fact that the PF has not only lost to UPND but also to SP in by-elections held in areas viewed to be PF strongholds of Luapula, Northern and Muchinga provinces, Fube said he would be a fool to underestimate anyone or any competitor in politics, saying any competitor was a serious competitor, including those that have not been getting PF members.
Fube said PF could not control the loss of membership as some people left and joined because of wanting certain favors.
“You have seen that it’s only the Socialist Party maybe that is having some members and the like. And if you see the party those that are joining they are not joining UPND. Many of them that have joined UPND from PF are those that actually PF itself rejected, who don’t even have a favourable standing with PF. Any of the people that are leaving are going into Socialist Party, and I think having a president is not a panacea that you are going to have all the members intact. Bufi,” he said.
But Fube argued that by-elections were not a measure of one’s popularity.
“I am still a believer and I am emphasizing that going for a convention this June will be disastrous because the convention itself will be shambolic, whether money will be found or not it will be shambolic,” Fube said, insisting that the party must run away from creating a big man syndrome.
He said he has not differed with Kambwili at personal level and that for Kambwili to even view him as being used meant that he did not know him well
Fube said there were nine people who were interested in the PF members and there could be a likelihood of some forming splinter groups if they did not succeed to become PF president, which he said even destroys parties more, and therefore it was not strategic to have a president now when there was still four more years to go to the next elections.
He said no one should make the mistake of thinking that he was too small to have an independent opinion on issues, saying it was making him cheap to suggest that he was being used.
“I think if they use people they should not think that me I can be used by anyone,” he said.
Fube said the party had not taken stock and wondered who would even vote for the presidential candidates today if they went for the convention as some have already left the party.
He said it was a very big insult on his persona for anyone to accuse him of being used.
“The best I can do is just to look at that person. But I feel insulted, because look whereas some of the people have been doing flip flop, they go to PF, they go to this political party some of us even when it was hottest we have just stuck to PF. So for anyone to reason that my call is meant to destroy PF it’s oppositions actually. It’s meant to resuscitate PF because we have got different political methods,” Fube said. “To be bothered to have this complex around a big man syndrome is not very good. This is why African political parties die because they want to create an institution around an individual. Politics is about collective wisdom. And when we talk about that, the strongest structure in political arrangements should be the ward.”
He accused “some people” of staying aloof in making financial contributions towards helping in petitions and other causes.
“What I am asking for those that want to stand as a starting point can we have these rich people that want to float themselves donate money for legal fees for us to start settling because even these people that are being troubled they are our members and we need to defend them,” said Fube.
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