By Staff Reporter
The people of Kabwata should show the UPND that we can’t go on being governed in this manner, says opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Harry Kalaba.
And Kalaba says the uprising against him in his party by some members is not the last time it’s happening, predicting that the same will continue into the future.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Kalaba said Zambians are ending the year with a lot of pain in view of harsh economic conditions and high cost of living.
“The fares for transport have gone up as a result of the increment in fuel prices, now its difficult for some of us to even begin mobilising, it’s difficult to even mobilise mobilisation programmes because the pump price is high, the cost of doing business is unreasonablly high. The prices of goods and services will go up,” Kalaba said. “So Zambians are ending the year with pain, a lot of pain. Looking at the way we are being managed by the UPND we don’t expect much even next year.”
Kalaba said the cost of living was unbearable, and that Zambians must decide whether they want to continue on the same path or change course, starting with the upcoming by-elections in Kabwata.
“Well it’s up to the people themselves, they are the ones who are feeling the brunt of the economy, batila akoni kekala umuti katemenwe, If they are happy with how they are living, Kabwata is a litmus test for them. Let them go ahead and vote for UPND if they are happy,” Kalaba said. “But if not they are going to show UPND that they are not happy with how they are going so far, let them also exercise their right to show them that we can’t go on like this. The bottom line is akoni kekala umuti katemenwe.”
But asked on the problems he is facing in his own party where people like Judith Kabemba have challenged his hold on the DP in the courts of law, and if he worried that he will have to prepare spending more time in the courts of law, Kalaba said that was the least of his worries.
“So you will be having people rising against Harry Kalaba it’s not the first, it’s not the last. It will be happening. But that doesn’t change nothing,” he said.
On the fact that his party critics have dismissed the party’s candidate list for Kabwata with their own list, Kalaba said it was not even possible for the other faction to present their candidate before the ECZ as there is only one recognised institution.
“Right now DP they are having meetings with ECZ, on Friday I heard they were doing their monitors. This is a process it’s not a one day thing that you can just wake up and say I am doing this,” said Kalaba. “There are laws in this country man. If that wasn’t the case all of us would be running government because we would just say ine kanshi HH nshimutemenwe I am also going to open parliament. Bakakwikata.”
