POLITICS OF DESPERATION THE CASE OF UPND

ONE great man once said, “Desperate times require desperate measures.” While I strongly accept this philosophy, and while I might have applied it myself at different times, it is only problematic on a macro level: when it’s the philosophy of a government or the most popular opposition party in a country. This is the case in our Zambia.

The political system of our great nation is run on desperate measures by both political divides though of course this philosophy can be avoided if both sides in the political spectrum apply some conscious effort.  The effects of desperate politics have devalued our country and it us on the lower levels of the political hierarchy who feel them the most. Like the proverbial saying, “When the elephants fight, the grass gets trampled,” most of us have seen and experienced the suffering.

The great nation of Zambia has come a long way since its black sovereignty in 1964.  However, the political inertia has forced the country to be economically stagnant and become a place of diminished hope. Our political leaders have invested most of their time masquerading as guardians of the gains of the multipartism struggle, yet at the same time weakening the country both economically and militarily.

I don’t have a problem with Hakainde’s leadership qualities but the culture he is creating or perpetuating in Zambia’s political circles. One might argue that he hasn’t been in power yet. An opposition is a government in waiting; the same constitutional protocol that a sitting president adheres to should be the same one that a legitimate opposition party leader should stick to. The culture of giving up power when one’s legal term ends does not start in government only; it’s a culture that has to be cultivated from the grassroots levels; opposition parties are not exceptions.

Having lost several times HH and the UPND are becoming extremely desperate in their quest for power, thereby diminishing their chances to govern. In the past few days arising from their desperation they have public confidence by simply failing to distance themselves from acts likely to dent their capacity to rule. It has become very clear even as stated by Mr. tembo that that there is every sign that UPND will be worse than PF if given the opportunity to rule this country. The Lusaka times of 3^rd July 2020 reveals that UPND would be worse than PF if voted into office. Party President Sean Tembo says his party fully agrees with such a view, as they have always done. Mr. Tembo says filing a single opposition candidate is the surest way of removing President Lungu and his Patriotic Front party from office.

He, however, said that a change of Government by itself, just for the sake of changing Government, will not result in any positive change in the lives of the Zambian people as was the case in 2011 when Zambians replaced the MMD Government with the current PF Government which has proved to be even more disastrous.

“In other words, it is possible to vote out a bad government and replace it with a worse government, if the change of government is the only objective. What would improve the lives of the Zambian people is to remove the current PF Government and replace it with a better Government”, he said. Desperation says it all. The agenda is not solving the problems of the Zambians but removing president Lungu.