Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) executive director, Alex Ng’oma has said the ruling MMD is highly tipped to win this year’s elections, especially with a fragmented opposition movement.
Dr N’goma, who is also a political scientist from the University of Zambia (UNZA) said in an interview in Lusaka that the opposition had degenerated and could not provide a formidable force against the MMD.
He said for any society to have a healthy democratic process, a strong opposition and a strong ruling party were inevitable but that given the current scenario, it was evident that the opposition was in disarray following the dissolution of the alliance between the United
Party for National Development (UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF).
Dr N’goma said the fragmentation in the opposition had caused a serious weakness that would only work to the advantage of the ruling MMD.
Dr N’goma observed that there was no credible challenge for the ruling party in the general elections and this could mean that the ruling party was headed for outright victory.
He attributed the pact’s failure to the PF and UPND leaders’ failure to agree on harmonising their party manifestoes and a candidate to lead the opposition during elections.
“The opposition is too fragmented to provide a credible challenge for the MMD and this means that the ruling party is headed for victory because of a weak opposition currently in existence,” he said.
He advised the opposition leaders to avoid being selfish and place the interest of the electorate first.
He observed that the delays in announcing that the pact had failed was another contributing factor that created anxiety among members of the public and supporters in general.
At a Press briefing on Friday last week, the UPND officially announced its decision to pull out of the pact because it did not want to be part of a process that would endorse Mr Sata as Republican president, describing him as a dictator and mischievous politician.
Party vice-president for administration Richard Kapita said in the two years of interaction, the PF had failed to table a single document spelling out policies on how the country would be governed should the pact formed on June 4, 2009 assumed power.
[ Times of Zambia ]
This is very true the opposition has now shot itself in the foot.MMD will rule at the end of the day.
Ngoma this is utter crap! Each political party was formed based on its streingth, therefore ought to campaign on that base. What pact?? just for selfish motives, of what benefit is the pact to the people of Zambia after elections?? These chaps will be fighting to share positions at the expense of development
this is becoz of PF’s lack of manifesto..they are busy campaigning with a more money in your pocket slogan which is not practical..
You have people you support period
even mmembe malupenga lifuka kabanda randy father bwalya hh sata they know this hard to swallow fact but its just that they have to save face. We have won elections this year MMD and RB aluta continua
The opposition has killed it self by dissolving the PACT.
THIS NGOMA MAN IS JUST EXPRESSING HIS OWN POLITICAL VIEWS AND I HAVE NO DOUBT TO BELIEVE THAT THIS MAN IS NOT FROM SOUTHERN PROVINCE IS JUST A SIMPLE MAN FROM CHIPATA WHO CAN ONLY SUPPORT RB…THEREFORE I HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEW THAT BECAUSE OF THIS POLITICAL FRAGMENTATION IT LEAD TO PF WINING IN MPOROKOSO BYE-ELECTIONS SO MMD NEEDS A POLITICAL ALLIANCE MUCH MORE THAN PF BECAUSE PF IS SO INTACT AND MMD HAS A LOT SQUABBLES AND IN-FIGHTING MANY PEOPLE FROM MMD WILL VOTE FOR PF THEY CANNOT DEFECT NOW BECAUSE OF POLITICAL VENGEANCE…THE ONLY GENUINE PERSON RUNNING THESE ELECTION MONITORING ORGANIZATION IS BONNY TEMBO..MOST OF THESE CHAPS ARE VERY CORRUPT THEY ONLY TOLL THE RULING PARTY…AND AM SURE THIS IS NOT FODEP POSITION…
#6 could you please learn to use small letters in your blogging? i would want to read your posts but its not easy block letters. thank you! am not telling but humbly asking you!
BE SINCERE, THE MMD IS MORE ORGANIZED THAN THE TWO PARTIES, PF AND UPND. ALL POSITIONS IN PF ARE ONE MAN APPOINTMENTS, UPND HAS A PROBLEM OF IDENTITY. SERIOUSLY SPEAKING MMD WILL HAVE TO WORK EXTRA HARD AND WIN THE ELECTIONS CLEAN. I WISH THEM ALL THE BEST. SIGNS ARE GOOD FOR THEM, ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMS ARE A GOOD SIGN FOR A BETTER TOMORROW ZAMBIA.
What do you expect from Ngoma, who is speaking from a TRIBALISTS point of view and identify with President Banda on tribal and regional basis. Zambia is for all, not for Easterners only to run State House. Zambians these tribalists in the name of Rupiah Banda is taking us for granted.
Look at the way Easterners are against the PVT at the electoral of Zambia. Can’t Rupiah really, appoint people from Western province to run ECZ? He only appoint small numbers of other Zambian tribes in irrelevant positions.
Look at the way Rupiah has appointed majority of Easterners to run the missions and foreign service!!
And these are the vuvuzelas who are using government machinery in the foreign service to defend Rupiah and MMD over his brutality.
Lord help us Zambia…
Whilst I do not believe in making any contributions on tribal lines, I thought that I should correct the perception that Dr Ng’oma is from Eastern Province. If his name has been correctly spelt then he is not Ngoma from Eastern Province but Ng”oma from from Northern Province.
the only reason oppostion parties are weak is that they dont sale economic programmes. I have never head that HH is in eastern/ copperbet/ luapula provinces to sell themselve. they would rather hold rallies where they are already popular. i understand the economic programme for MMD because people have spend time selling it. Oppostion parties should have been holding meetings in colleges, with business communities, and in communities. but must don’t do because the policital agendas are not attractive
#10 dont lies who told you that easterners are against PVT. dont take a view of one scared politician and lebal it on everyone. it is such views that sow seeds of division and anarchy. i being from Eastern province am strongly for PVT because it good for us as zambia. i made a posting to that effect a week ago. so please use words that build not divided peoples. we are all zambians
I am afraid I agree with him on the fragmentation of opposition. The votes this year will be split between PF, UPND and Milupi’s party – what is it called? Copperbelt, Lusaka and part of Northern Province will vote PF. Southern Province and part of Central Province will vote Hakainde and the entire Western and part of Northwestern will vote Milupi. Other small parties will take few votes. Collate all those votes the opposition will amass over 70% of the eligible voters votes while the MMD will get 30%. Because we do not have a 50% + 1 rule…they MMD will hang on as a minority govt. They calculated this a long time ago reason for which they manipulated the constitution making process the way they did to secure this kind of unpopular victory. That is how the MMD RIG elections!!
Talk from overseas, but here it is action. Dont be foooled by opinions generated by VJ Mwaanga. He is only playing on your minds. Unfortunately for MMD my grand mother has no access to this propaganda, that is why she voted for PF in Mporokoso. By the Mporokoso has always been anti PF until the recent election(so were other Lungu, Mambwe and Inamwanga districts)
this is fooolish from both times of zambia and lusaka times the man mr ngoma is on q fm right he ahs refused this fooolish news usless.
PF cadres, I really sympathise with you, niziba kuti chibaba.