Former Democratic Party (DP) interim President Gift Kalumba has observed that personal interests and hatred has been at the core of internal wrangles that have engulfed the opposition party.
The internal wrangles in DP have forced Harry Kalaba to resign both as party president and party member.
Mr. Kalaba said he decided to leave DP due to the delayed court process over the fight for the party’s Presidency.
The former Foreign Affairs Minister hinted that he will register a new political party with the Registrar of Societies and launch it soon.
Mr. Kalaba has been battling the party presidency with the other DP faction led by deposed Vice President Judith Kabemba.
Commenting on DP wrangles, Mr. Kalumba, who served as interim President in 2018, said he was saddened by the wrangles in the party.
Mr. Kalumba said DP was revived with the aim of ensuring that it contributed positively to the political dispensation of the country.
The former PF Rhokana Ward Councilor in Kitwe said infighting in DP has almost killed a beautiful structure that could have added great value to local politics.
“It is a very sad scenario for me. It is very sad and a defeat of democracy first of all. When we revived this party all those speaking now including the former President Kalaba are part of the recreation of DP. We wanted DP to be a better contributor to the political dispensation of our country but has gone into this personal hatred. It is personal matters being portrayed as national matters which for me is a very backward way of doing politics. They have demolished a very beautiful structure that could have added great value to Zambian politics,” Mr. Kalumba said.
“And I hope the people are able now to see that in politics integrity is very important, in politics trust is very important and unity and to have a cause that you want to stand for, a national cause. What has killed this party is purely personal issues and I wish those that have remained in the party if they can hold themselves together, the party is redeemable. Honourable Kalaba has his own reasons for resigning and I think they are valid because we have heard a lot of insults which I feel even the police must take on. Police should see to it that insults are not part of politics. He has good reasons and I wish him the best in whatever endeavors,” he said.
Mr. Kalumba concluded:”We will also wait for what we continue to unfold. The Registrar of Societies can do us a favour by releasing the actual leadership that is there at the Registrar of Societies. Details of who is the President there, the Secretary General, because the constitution of the same party only gives the President and the Secretary General powers to act or make amends to it. Only these two (President and the Secretary General) have the powers. The others who are speaking are just members of the committee. It will need seven people to make any decision on DP. Seven people minimum out of ten.”
What is there to fight for over a party like dp which is small and irrelevant? This is a sign that it is true hh has been funding kalaba from the start to cause confusion. Wake up Zambians. This hh is an evil monster
The story of NDC. You get rid of Kalaba and then the party will disappear. NDC is in an alliance with New Dawn. It will survive through that umbilical cord. As for DP, this is the end.
DP MUST NOT DIE
THAT WILL MEAN THEY JOIN UNIP AND PF