By Mike Sichula
Political events of the past week cannot go without comment considering that in a democracy like Zambia, what is happening in the governing party is interesting and a marvel to watch as Kelvin Bwalya Fube, seems to be like an ant in the trunk of an Elephant.
The only crime committed by KBF is to express interest to challenge PF Leader Edgar Lungu at the forth coming PF convention to elect new office bearers ahead of the 2021 general elections.
KBF openly challenged President Lungu to handover the Presidency to him saying he has done his part as President.
The above sentiment seems to have angered the PF membership but I shall get back to this later in our analysis.
I know for a fact that structures of the PF have ‘imposed’ Mr Lungu, as the sole candidate for the 2021 elections meaning no one else can challenge Mr Lungu, whether or not other PF members like it or not. It is final.
However, from my understanding I’m wondering how possible it is for some PF leaders to be speaking for the entire membership of the PF without their consent.
From my quick research, the PF constitution states that only the General Conference of the party, made up of some 6000 delegates, can elect the Party President and not automatically by the 42-member Central Committee, the so called MCC.
Before I move to our other argument, I challenge the current PF leadership and their Facebook experts to tell me if all the candidates who stood for elections for the position of Party President to replace late Party leader Michael Sata were MCC members.
I have in mind individuals like Former First Lady Kaseba Sata, GBM, Chishimba Kambwili, Mulenga Sata including Miles Sampa, add those we have left out, where all of those candidates members of the MCC when they stood for party Presidency?
My research tells me, that was not the case. So is the PF telling us somehow, somewhere there PF constitution was changed to restrain non-MMCs from contesting the Party Presidency?
KBF challenged President Lungu to handover the Presidency to him saying he has done his part as President.
I picked out this as it is a source of this so called loyalty to President Lungu, by some PF officials who have concluded that KBF is insulting the office of the PF presidency, well according to them not us.
Actually, KBF is telling President Lungu, that if he so wishes to hand pick a candidate when he no longer has the hype to continue, he is already for that role.
KBF has challenged President Lungu to handover the Presidency to him saying he has done his part as President. KBF is lobbying for that role, if it does go his way, he is still more ready to face his President, at the convention.
I remembered how a week ago, GBM told a media briefing that his suspension from the UPND was partly to do with his intention to challenge party leader Hakainde Hichilema, at the UPND convention.
Touch not President Lungu including Hichilema, instead leave the two political parties, these two leaders cannot be challenged at party conventions.
This is similar to the behavior of PF members of condemning KBF others like Paul Moonga, the PF Lusaka province Chairman threatening to expel Mr Fube from the ruling Patriotic Front. I wonder why he must be expelled.
Those parading innocent cadres to instead use such resources to empower the cadres with startup capital or better still save that money, they will need it in the next two years, as some of those PF officials will not be adopted as MPs.
I have publicly heard President Edgar Lungu, comment on the presidential ambitions of Chishimba Kambwili and Harry Kalaba, who are no longer in the PF but I am yet to hear the Head of State issue a direct political comment against KBF.
I’m sure, President Lungu, being a democrat himself, is taken amiss by statements flying around from his senior party members who have gone on full throttle attacking KBF day in and day out.
I also understand the solid argument of Mr Fube having followed KBF interactions with the media that is he believes that eventualities in politics can be avoided if those holding Political Office are not blinded with the current state of affairs.
The Speech Analyst
29.04.2019
