By Mubanga Mubanga
Tonse Alliance deputy spokesperson Ephraim Shakafuswa says United Kwacha Alliance (UKA), should not be rhetorical over the unity of opposition political parties.
Yesterday UKA Chairperson for information Jackson Silavwe issued a statement that they had invited other opposition political parties to field a single candidate in each of the by-elections in Pambashe and Petauke-Central but that failed to work out, a situation he described as unfortunate. By press time yesterday, Tonse and UKA each were fielding separate candidates.
But in an interview with Daily Revelation yesterday, on the reason Tonse chose to field candidates in Pambashe and Petauke, without uniting with other opposition political parties, Shakafuswa urged UKA against being rhetorical as former president Edgar Lungu had been calling for unity amongst opposition political parties, but UKA has failed to take heed.
“The chairperson is on record calling on opposition to unite, have you seen anywhere where UKA offered the same, other than rhetoric? So they cannot come with rhetoric where there is no record to that effect that they did offer that. You see, president Changwa Lungu is on record saying look, come on board, Tonse has got rules,” Shakafuswa said. “We have got a special purpose vehicle … if you got a special purpose vehicle … you PF if you got a better candidate, let this candidate stand on NCP (National Congress Party). He is on record, there is nothing to the contrary on the other side. As Tonse we want to find a win, win situation. And it is something president Edgar Lungu keeps talking about every time he is given an opportunity to speak, on the need for opposition to come together.”
And Shakafuswa said Tonse alliance had learned their lessons from the Kawambwa by-election, and what happened there would not repeat itself.
“We have done our ground work; we have learned from the Kawambwa elections. And the mistakes we made we have taken note, and those will not repeat themselves. So we have popular candidates in both consistencies,” Shakafuswa said.
Meanwhile Tonse alliance sources told Daily Revelation, that the alliance fielded two candidates using FDD and NCP, because they did not want what happened in previous by-elections to repeat itself, where the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) attempted to block the alliance Candidate under NCP.
