By Isaac Zulu
It’s lunacy for the PF to start asking the UPND to start delivering on campaign promises just now, says Albert Chifita.
Speaking with the Daily Revelation, Chifita, who is the ruling United Party for National Development Central Province chairman, said that the UPND cannot delivering development when it is still using the Patriotic Front budget.
He explained that the UPND can only start delivering development based in its campaign promises after formulated and operationalising its its own budget.
“…Those political opponents that are saying that the UPND has to immediate start delivering development as per our campaign promises are being unrealistic. As UPND, we are still using the Patriotic Front budget. People like Given Lubinda, Raphael Nakachinda the binocular and many other PF officials are shortsighted. It is lunacy for the PF to start asking the UPND to start delivering on campaign promises just now…that is madness,” charged Chifita. “Those urging us to start delivering on our campaign promises should be schooled that the UPND is still using the Patriotic Front budget. The UPND government can only start delivering development based in its campaign promises after formulated and operationalising its its own budget. That is some time next year when we will start executing our own budget.”
He explained that the UPND budget will factor in the campaign promises that the party leadership made to the Zambian people prior to the August 12 general election.
“We cannot start proving free education just now when we are using the PF formulated budget. We cannot start reducing the price of fertiliser when we are still using the Patriotic Front budget. The UPND budget will factor in all our campaign promises. Those that are speaking loudly about this issue should just wait and see how the UPND government will effectively execute its budget; as it strives to roll out development across the country. Already we have started restoring investor confidence,” he said.
Chifita further stated that the UPND budget will be decentralised one.
“Moreover, the President has already committed that the UPND will increase the Constituency Development Fund. We mean business…it won’t be chipante pante like was the case in the Patriotic Front government,” Chifita said.
Chifita further said the PF will not bounce back to power.
“The PF caused a lot of miseries on the Zambian people. They embraced corruption and arrogance. And those characteristics are still deep rooted in the PF leadership…in their blood. A leopard is a leopard even if it moves from Savanna to another area. The same applies to a hyena to remain the same even if it changes its habitat. The same applies to the Patriotic Front. No matter how they rebrand, they will never form government again,” stressed Chifita. “In Africa, political parties that lose power don’t bounce back. Here in Zambia, UNIP was very powerful; but it failed to bounce back. MMD came and when they lost power to the PF they have never formed government again. So, the PF members think that they will bounce back to power, let them continue dreaming. And the UPND is already strategising on how to retain power.”
