UNIP READY FOR AUGUST TRIPARTITE ELECTIONS

By NOEL IYOMBWA UNITED National Independent Party has set April 2 and 4, 2021  for its national congress,  president Tilyenji Kaunda has said. And Dr Kaunda has called on all party leaders and civil societies to meet and agree how the country will conduct violence free elections. Dr Kaunda told journalists in Lusaka that the party has resolved to hold its first National Congress and opened up in terms of its candidates for the forthcoming tripartite elections by not limiting members. Dr Kaunda said that the party was extending an invitation to all citizens who qualify under the current republican constitutional provisions and are ready to work with UNIP. He observed that in the last 30 years, the party has witnessed how MPs have been expelled and caused unnecessary by elections adding that the party is ready  to work with anyone to build an independent and robust parliament that can truly hold the executive to account. “It is time to free MPs to truly represent their constituents and the people as opposed to the current suffocating control by political parties. “The role of parliament and MPs need to be clarified correctly for checks and balances to be truly reflected for the democratic dividend to be felt by the villager, the factory worker, the farmer, the teacher, the policeman and the common man out there,“ he said. He clarified that during the national congress, all interested members are free to contest for the positions in the central committee. Meanwhile Dr Kaunda has called on all party leaders and civil societies to gather before the elections so as to find ways of having violence free elections. He said that the party’s major interest is to ensure that the country holds   violence free elections and that this can be achieved when leaders meet and negotiate. Dr Kaunda also disclosed that he has never imposed himself as a leader of the party, but that it is up to the party to decide.