Dear Editor,
UPND’s loss of Chilanga Parliamentary seat to PF in the just ended by-election is UPND’’s own making.
The UPND leadership was actually advised by their own Councillors in Chilanga Constituency that the candidate the party hierarchy was settling for will be difficult to sell to the electorate.
Instead of the leadership to go by the advice of the Councillors, it suspended and finally expelled two of its vibrant young Councillors in the Constituency who in turn joined the PF and campaigned vigorously for the PF candidate who eventually won the seat.
Had the UPND Party leadership not exhibited stubbornness to the advice of the people on the ground, the story could maybe be different.
That vindicated the former Councillors Peter Mulubisha and the colleague.
This should be the lesson to all political parties never to use authority when adopting candidates but should learn to listen to the people on the ground who know what the electorate want.
This should also serve as a lesson as we draw near to 2021 general election that incumbency should not be the litmus for the choice of candidates but let parties adopt candidates that will be saleable to the electorates.
It is in that vein that I urge that the candidate adoption processes should not be left to the party leaderships but also embrace the grassroots.
Charmaine Musonda of UPND Party became very difficult to sell to the electorate compared to Maria Langa of PF.
My advice to all political leadership is to give people candidates they want and not use political stubbornness of authority.
Wisdom Muyunda
Chingola
