ALLOWING ILLEGAL STRUCTURE IN POLITICAL PARTIES FOR CONVENIENCE

5^th May, 2015

MEDIA STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 The attitude and behavior of our political leaders in the country of allowing some “illegal structures” to exist in their political parties when such structures are supportive of their political expedience and exposing them as illegal when seen not to follow those leaders’ thoughts and plans is not only hypocritical but also failure to promote tenets of good governance and observance of the rule of law at a basic level. It is so vexing and appalling to hear the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Chishimba Kambwili who is also Chief Government Spokesperson and Youth Chairperson in the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) disown and declare illegal the Media and Publicity Committee of the PF today, a structure he was mute about for  years. Just because this committee has differed with him on the issue of acceptance of Dora Siliya in the PF, Mr. Kambwili has realized that this committee is illegal and has no place in the structures of the PF party.

 OYV is of the resolution that it is very evident that our leaders do not learn and choose not to learn. Such “illegal” structure existed in the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) called the “Die Hard MMD Young Wing” run by Bowman Lusambo. Leaders in the MMD kept quiet when Mr. Lusambo spoke supportive but the moment he seemed divergent from their views, the “Die Hard” was deemed illegal and disowned.

From these two experiences, it is clear that political leaders are not decisive of the kind of structures they need to enhance good governance and the rule of law.

 OYV would like to advise the political leaders to either legalize/legitimize  or stop the mushrooming of non-existing committees/components within their structures at the earliest to avoid confusion as this erodes the little confidence the members of the public have in the political parties but more so in the political leadership.

 Therefore if what Mr. Kambwili alluded to that the Media and Publicity Committee in the PF run by Mr. Brain Hapunda and now supported by Mr. Sunday Chanda does not exist and is illegal in PF, the party should ensure that the committee is legitimized with the PF structures or totally disbanded as what happened to the “Die Hard” in the MMD, as ignoring it is harboring a time bomb.

Guess Nyirenda (Mr.)

Executive Director