GUY Scott yesterday said the UPND is trying to build its image at PF’s expense.
And Scott said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema wants the presidency that eluded him in 2006 and 2008 by a large margin.

Reacting to remarks by Siavonga UPND member of parliament Douglas Syakalima that PF is no longer strong, PF vice-president Scott called for honesty and pragmatism in the Pact.
“The difficulty which we are having in this pact it’s like a privatisation negotiation. With one side trying to talk down the value of the other side and try to talk up its own value,” said Scott who is also Lusaka Central parliamentarian. “And it’s gone so far that some UPND people are even saying PF is no longer as strong as it was in 2008. And the reason for doing that is that they want to get more from PF and give less.

“That’s exactly what I said in my article I wrote a month ago. I said that the so-called boom in the strength of UPND in Western Province was a myth invented to make PF yield territory to UPND. If you read carefully what I wrote I also said the PF’s belief that it has taken over Western Province is also a myth.”
He stressed that there was need for people to simply be honest and not delude themselves and others.

“I don’t believe that the PF has grown very much in terms of popularity since 2008 and I don’t believe the UPND has also grown much since 2008. But the combined strength of both parties is probably good enough to beat MMD. The real issue is power play,” Scott said.

“Hakainde wants the presidency that eluded him in 2006 and 2008 by a large margin. And his kitchen cabinet wants more power in the forthcoming pact government. We are really fighting about who is going to run the pact government within the Pact.”

He said the Pact could still work but it needed to be managed honestly on both sides.

“It’s a pity if UPND thinks our problems stem from honesty into the Pact. We want this pact to work but we don’t want to get eaten in the process. The MPs from both sides of this pact get on very well generally together. It’s UPND trying to build its image at PF’s expense.

Therefore, the article I wrote that was so controversial has been vindicated because that’s what UPND is actually saying,” Scott said. “They are trying to run us down and get themselves up, which is a problem we are not supposed to be running each other down. We are supposed to be progressing the pact.”

He also backed party secretary general Wynter Kabimba’s stance.
“I don’t believe what Wynter did was wrong, as secretary general he is the protector of the party. We want realism, the attacks on Michael are unnecessary. We don’t want to be chewed up,” said Scott.

On Friday, Syakalima, who is also Hichilema’s senior adviser, was quoted in the Times of Zambia accusing Sata and Kabimba of not believing in the spirit of the Pact.

“By saying that UPND should accept that PF has more MPs than the UPND and the issue of presidency only means that they don’t believe in the Pact,” he said.
Syakalima was further quoted as having said that the claim by the PF that it had more members of parliament was wrong.

He said PF was no longer strong because most of its member of parliament voted with the MMD.

He wondered why the PF could not accept reality that they had been losing to the MMD in Luapula Province.

Syakalima was also quoted as having said that PF could no longer bank on its past glory because the “political pendulum is emotional and unpredictable.”

The Times of Zambia also quoted UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa stating that Sata had lost wisdom despite having served in government for a long time.
“As an old man, we expected Mr Sata to provide wisdom in the pact, but he has failed. If anything his statements in the media are showing that he is losing wisdom every day,” Kalusa said.

Copperbelt UPND chairperson Elisha Matambo told The Post that his party could survive without PF.

Source: http://www.postzambia.com