By Oliver Chisenga
THE UPND is not learning from the bad habits of PF, says party national youth chairman Gilbert Liswaniso.
In a statement after featuring on Millennium Radio, Liswaniso said the ruling party campaigned and won elections on the premise of getting rid of bad habits embedded in society by those it took over from.
He warned that the UPND must not embrace bad habits of the PF that had former president Edgar Lungu booed at Heroes Stadium as he handed over the instruments of power to President Hakainde Hichilema last year.
“As a party, we are learning that embracing bad habits can cost you people-power.
Therefore, we have learnt to not learn and embrace bad things. UPND, the people’s party, must not embrace bad habits of the PF.
The habits that had former president, Mr Edgar Lungu booed in Heroes Stadium, or we would also be booed by the people. But one thing I am certain of is that we won’t be booed in that fashion.
We shall deliver beyond people’s expectations. We have a selfless leader in charge of national affairs,” Liswaniso said. “As young politicians of today, we must learn how to live together in harmony.
Whether or not our political ideals differ, our common ground must always be peace. Young people of UPND are not learning bad things from our predecessors. We will not entertain that.”
He said wherever he goes, his emphasis is that citizens must not fight each other.
“We must deal and fight poverty together with those in opposition.
The opposition also should speak about the plight of the people so that the government can listen and work on those issues. Not insults. This won’t be tolerated.
The rule of law is in active mode for the first time in history,” Liswaniso said.
He urged the opposition to dwell on developmental issues instead of disparaging the Head of State.
“To you our friends in opposition, bring out issues on the ground, where there’s no water, where there’s no road, bring out those issues. Not what we’re seeing today where to them, giving checks and balances is amounting to insulting the President,” Liswaniso said.
“We would like to remind those who think are still under a lawless regime [that] we are not living in a country of lawlessness. We are no longer with that habit of freely insulting leaders as it used to be.
We won’t allow you to insult President Hakainde Hichilema on tribal lines. The law will follow you vigorously. The rule of law has come.”
He said Zambia is no longer in an era where an opposition figure is treated like they were not a citizen as was the case when President Hichilema was in opposition.
“We are all Zambians. To my fellow members of the ruling UPND, we must not become lazy because we won elections. People will put others.
We must continue as a party to respect our colleagues in opposition so that Zambia’s democracy ceases to exist only on paper.
People must feel and must be able to touch the democracy being promoted by His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema.
Back in the day, no opposition would have a programme on radio without being attacked or that radio station being vandalised,” Liswaniso said.
He noted that “a few people are not happy” that President Hakainde said no to cadres illegally collecting money from markets and that he had embraced the rule of law.
“When we campaigned against cadres in markets, some members thought it was a joke. Some of our members thought we would take over from the wrongs of robbing from the council, from the markets, from the poor, from the bus drivers
A few are not happy because Hakainde said no to getting money from markets, and that he has embraced the rule of law.
We give our leader Kudos for his love for Zambia,” said Liswaniso.
