By Isaac Zulu
Saboi Imboela says she is ready to give up her position of party presidency to Chishimba Kambwili if he were to rejoin the party.
Speaking when she featured in Radio Phoenix’s Let the People Talk programme yesterday, Saboi, the NDC faction leader, said she if Kambwili decided to rejoin the NDC and the party’s central committee agrees that he takes up the position of party president, she would pave way for the former Roan member of parliament.
“Dr Kambwili is a very good mobiliser… he is an effective party mobiliser,” stressed Saboi Imboela.
And Saboi said appointments by President Hakainde Hichilema made so far are based on appeasement and not on merit or professionalism, says Saboi Imboela.
She said the UPND promised to ensure that meritocracy appointments to government positions, but this is not what is currently happening.
She was, however, quick to state that she does not blame the appointing authority because she knows that most people being appointed to government positions sacrificed a lot for the UPND when it was in opposition.
“The meritocracy appointment that the UPND administration promised is not been seen. The appointments that President Hakainde Hichilema has made so far are based on appeasement and not on merit or professionalism,” said Imboela. “It is impossible for the UPND to implement the meritocracy that they have been talking about. And I don’t blame the UPND for making such appointments at cabinet level, permanent secretary level and district commissioner level. This is because I know where they are coming from. There are people that sacrificed a lot for the UPND when the party was in opposition and the party leadership has no choice, but to reward these people.”
And Imboela accused the UPND leadership of trying to petitioning election results and destabilising opposition political parties in a quest to have Zambia revert to a one party state.
“The number of election petitions that the UPND filed in the Courts of Law in the aftermath of the August 12 general elections is just a UPND agenda to have this country go back to a one party state. The confusions that we are seeing in the DP (Democratic Party) are sponsored by the party in power. The factions that has been going on in the NDC were sponsored. People are sponsored to cause confusions in opposition political parties,” Imboela charged. “This whole thing is a UPND broad agenda to destabilise the opposition so that we get to a one party state.”
She further bemoaned the lack of adequate women representation in the UPND government.
Imboela implored the UPND administration to ensure that they appointment more women to the remaining government positions, including appointments to diplomatic service.
Asked by programme host if she would accept any government position in the UPND administration, Imboela categorically stated that she wouldn’t.
But she indicated she would not mind to offer some political consultancy services to the UPND government, and not a full time job.
Meanwhile, Imboela has disclosed that the NDC will, in the next few months, start the process of rebranding into a youth and women led political party.
She explained that the rationale behind the idea is to encourage youth and women participation in politics, adding that “Even old politicians will ideas that would add value to the NDC are welcome. This is your party and we need to work together in order to push our political agenda.”
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