By Staff Reporter
Democratic Party (DP) is now the main opposition as the PF is completely finished, claims DP leader Harry Kalaba.
And Kalaba said President Hakainde Hichilema should be allowed the space to settle, without any malice from anyone.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Kalaba, who emerged a respectable but very distant third, behind newly elected President Hakainde Hichilema and former president Edgar Lungu in a field of 16 contestants, said he saw the PF going the same path as the former ruling parties, UNIP and MMD.
He said the PF’s image in the eyes of the Zambian people was tattered beyond redemption.
“We are already the main political party in opposition in Zambia. PF is finished, completely finished. And I don’t want to believe that if UNIP which left with a bit of dignity has not bounced back, what will give PF with all its tattered image an impression that it could come back to government?” Kalaba asked. “Who will even accept that? Because when I was talking about corruption in PF, you people thought I was joking, now the Zambian people have validated my concern. They have completely agreed with me on what I said about PF.”
Kalaba said what happened on August 12, 2021 was not an election but a total rejection of the PF by the people of Zambia.
“So I don’t think PF will come back, forget about PF, it’s history,” he said.
Turning to what he and his party had learnt from the election, Kalaba said they will be getting back to the drawing board to ensure that party structures were properly formed to avoid what was noticed during the elections.
“We have learnt that the Zambian people are a resilient people and that we have also learnt that having participated in the elections for the first time, there are several gaps we didn’t see until when we went on the ground, which gaps now will take care of,” Kalaba said. “I mean there are issues of party mobilisation, the gaps in party mobilisation which were clearly seen during the elections. This is where we are going to move in and ensure that that gap is covered and we don’t anticipate anything of that.”
Kalaba further urged against malice from anyone towards President Hichilema, saying he must be given the space to settle and execute his plans to the people.
“He was only sworn in two days ago. I mean you can’t start gossiping about a man who married a women just two weeks ago and say oh nanomba tabalakwatapo umwana (oh they don’t have children up to now)?” said Kalaba. “It means you are being malicious. For us in the DP it’s not about the new President, It’s about the country Zambia. Let us make progress as a people. I think it’s only important that you allow him space to settle and execute his promises. And we are watching as DP.”
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