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ABZ Opts To Support PF In The 20th By-Elections
PRESS STATEMENT
DELIVERED ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2014 AT NDEKE HOTEL IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA
AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SLATED FOR JANUARY 20, 2015.
SALUTATIONS
Members of Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) National Executive Team (NET) here present;
Distinguished invited guests; Distinguished members of the media; Fellow Zambians.
I greet you all in the name of the one responsible for the peace and co-existence that we have been enjoying since independence, the one who has blessed us with numerous natural resources and human resource especially collective intelligence and wisdom. His name is God the Almighty.
Before we proceed with this press conference at which we wish to announce some decisions regarding the forthcoming presidential election slated for January 20, 2015, allow me to kindly ask you to be upstanding and observe a minute of silence in honour of one of the great sons of our soil namely late Michael Chilufya Sata. As we honour him let us also remember the victims of the recent road traffic accident in Mbala in which 27 of our people including 10 babies perished.
Fellow Zambians, we have called this press conference to announce our position regarding the forthcoming president election caused by the death of our beloved President Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata. After considerable consultations and meetings by our NET, ABZ has decided not to put up a candidate in the upcoming presidential election due to the following reasons;
1. ABZ has not yet created enough party structures throughout the country to make a meaningful attempt at forming government;
2. Our party thinks that it makes more sense for political parties with a good number of members of parliament to participate in this particular election;
3. ABZ believes that if it won the January 20 presidential election, it would be forced to work with members of parliament belonging to other political parties, a situation that may make it difficult for our party to implement our unique policies and programmes;
4. Finally, our party has scrutinized all the members who were interested to stand on the ABZ ticket, including myself as leader of ABZ, and has found them not ready regarding a number of factors including financial resources and logistics.
Therefore, our party has decided to continue creating new structures and strengthening existing ones ahead of 2016 when we expect to make a meaningful attempt at forming government. We shall also continue to develop our financial capability.
However, we wish to state that after careful analysis we have made a strategic decision to support the Patriotic Front (PF) only for this presidential election. We think that this is a prudent way to go given our desire to engage the PF government constructively on a number of important issues as our country continues the journey 50 years after political independence from our brothers and sisters that colonized our territory.
Fellow Zambians, we need to emphasis our resolve to continue engaging the PF government on the need to deliver a just, durable and democratic Republic Constitution that would cure some of the slippages we have observed in our governance system for many years. As such, we expect the PF government to look at the death of President Michael Chilufya Sata not only as a big loss but also a big God given opportunity for a new beginning.
We wish to remind PF and the entire country about the lesson from the genesis of Christianity. It was only after Jesus died and ascended to his Father that he sent the Holy Ghost that strengthened his disciples to fearlessly go out and make disciples of all nations. The Holy Ghost taught them new things and reminded them the things their master, Jesus, taught them.
Therefore, PF and the entire country should look at the death of our beloved leader as a commissioning that should serve not as a throttle to inhibit growth but a thrust towards a better Zambia characterized by justice, peace and patriotism in advancing the common good.
We need a country where strong state institutions promote the rule of law, democracy and common sense. PF should take advantage of the opportunity that the year of our independence golden jubilee offers and open the windows of our society to allow fresh air in. Yes let Henry Kanyanta Sosala breath that fresh air; let that fresh air blow across Barotseland; let that fresh air defeat the stench of corruption and public rot caused by unbridled lust for power and wealth aided by a weak constitution; let fired nurses breath this fresh air and all those in our country that need it. I need it too.
Fellow Zambians, let us demand that PF uses this opportunity to recognize and value the role of opposition political parties and other players in the governance system including civil society and the church and learn to meaningfully engage them in the advancement of the common good.
So we shall support PF not because they have done everything well but because they can do better.
Additionally, PF should view the loss of our dear president late Michael Chilufya Sata, King Cobra as a God given opportunity to reconcile the nation and set our country on the path that leads to prosperity, hope and joy for all Zambians. Let PF feel the warn hand of Michael Sata pushing them to do something different and make him smile at them, his disciples, as they attempt to perfect the art of their master.
We urge members of PF to make their departed leader smile at them through the window of heaven as they transform the party he started into a more democratic modern vehicle to deliver the good things of life, to deliver economical emancipation and inspire our people to create a new Zambia with the promise of a better life for all.
Fellow Zambians, it is our prayer that PF will view the reality of too many members among them desiring to serve as an expression of new freedom and the conviction that many of them consider themselves fully barked after years of sitting at the feet of their master, after passing through the Michael Sata Academy of Politics.
As such, we urge them to engage in issue based campaigns and avoid acrimony because after one among them has been picked the rest would be required to campaign for the one who will be adopted.
Moreover, it is our prayer that PF will not make the mistake of behaving as if the founder of their party was a traditional chief. In this vein it is our hope that PF will demonstrate that all tribes in their party have an equal chance to lead PF.
As such, if by appointing Mr Edgar Lungu as Secretary General, Justice Minister, Defence Minister and Acting President, late Mr Sata was try to move the leadership of the party to where the wise men came from, we think he did a good thing that should not be destroyed by nurtured for the good of everybody in the party.
President Sata may have seen this arrangement as the winning formula if something happened to him. In other words, it is our considered view that PF stands a very good chance to win the January 20 presidential election if they adopt Mr. Edgar Lungu.
We have noticed that public acceptance of Mr. Lungu as presidential candidate for PF is growing every day. Hence, we can safely say that Zambians have decided to vote for Mr. Edgar Lungu to finish the term of office for late President Sata.
Finally, we wish to make it clear that our decision to support the PF and Mr. Edgar Lungu is based on the strategic rationale articulated in this statement and given the unique situation we find ourselves in after the death of Mr. Sata.
As such, we shall remain an independent political party and continue to focus on strengthening our party until it grows as big as PF.
We have no intention whatsoever, to abandon our noble role of providing checks and balances to the ruling party and society at large. Therefore, our support for PF is in public interest.
I thank you all.
God bless you all.
Fr. Frank Bwalya
ABZ LEADER
Posted by
koffi
November 21, 2014 at 9:00 pm
Uluse in mwebantu.
peddle
November 21, 2014 at 9:39 pm
That’s the only person I can vote for in pf if Edgar is not adopted I would rather vote for HH even though it will be a tough choice.viva Lungu
Sparrow
November 21, 2014 at 10:23 pm
Father Bwalya also! Again abwekeshapo ukusapota a PF candidate, useless chap. The biggest problem we have pa Zed is that, most of the politicians are FOOLS.
pillar
November 22, 2014 at 7:19 am
CHIKALA SPARROW WHATS YOUR PROBLEM,?
Phiri
November 21, 2014 at 11:10 pm
Zambians please learn a lesson from these happenings. We like believin that politicians are from God. No they are not. It’s us who make them our leaders. So we must not over revere them. They are people we can chuck out anytime we want since they are our servants. Let us just preserve our Democracy.
John Mambwe
November 21, 2014 at 11:26 pm
This father need to join his comrade Emmanuel Milingo and marry within the universal church.
mofizo ndhlovu
November 22, 2014 at 1:44 am
That’s good
Electorate 2015.16 com
November 22, 2014 at 4:28 am
Leaders are from GOD not Politicians
Apostle
November 22, 2014 at 5:33 am
Walasa yewe!
Dr. King kobra
November 22, 2014 at 5:43 am
Iwe ka fr. Bwalya we ka mu patili, God and mighty are not names of our God, only in your imaginations. God and mighty are titles of our God. His real name is Jehovah. Ebwafya bwa kwingila muma politics ububwine, kuti walaba neshina lya uyo bombela
Snipper
November 22, 2014 at 6:21 am
But what happens to the agreement he z in with mmd,mulongot part n others.i now see why upnd refused to join them
Geoffrey
November 22, 2014 at 6:29 am
The man seems to be losing direction! So he is saying sata was a good man, But when he was alive he was a very wicked man, no wonder he resigned as chairman of ERB. A father indeed.
MUSADABWE
November 22, 2014 at 8:07 am
PF Leadership Please Adopt Edger Lungu. We Will Give Massive Support. Viva Pf
james banda
November 22, 2014 at 10:03 am
I equally agree with father Bwalya that if PF was to win the 20/1/2015 elections,all what they should do is burry their differences and support Edgar Lungu because his support is growing hourly though some people disagree without properly analysing the situation.For madam Kaseba and Family members should know that Zambians will not use sympathy if anything this shows how desperate the Sata family is.Mother, son,nephew including asewele joining the race.Too bad for Zambia.
Sparrow
November 22, 2014 at 10:52 am
Iwe Pillar, my problem is, i can’t see sense in most of the decisions taken by the so called politicians. The likes of father Bwalya, Sampa & others.
j 1
November 22, 2014 at 6:34 pm
everything is vanity, politics wthout direction what do u expect, this is the end result,