Frank Bwalya’s letter to Wynter Kabimba

May 28, 2014.

Dear Mr. Kabimba,
RE: YOUR REGRETTABLE ONE PARTY STATE TALK

I refer to the subject above.

On Saturday 24th May 2014 you addressed the Patriotic Front (PF) Luwingu district conference in Luwingu during which you have been quoted as having said the following, “If people of Zambia want to give PF a one party state, let it be.

Who are we to deny their wish? It is not Michael Sata who wants to bring back a one party state. It is the good works of Michael Sata and people want PF to continue.” (The Post Newspapers, Monday May 26, 2014, page 2)

Given the manner in which Zambians have been voting in by-elections since PF formed government it is wishful thinking on your part to think that our people would want to revert to one party state system with PF as the only party.

And when one observes what Zambians have been saying in independent and objective media, it is abundantly clear that our people value pluralism and multi-party democracy.

Our country was once forced to support the one party state system but later rejected it overwhelmingly in 1991. Hence, be reminded that one party state system was tried in Zambia and many other countries and it was found wanting.

Therefore, don’t mislead yourself that Zambians can make the mistake of going back to the vomit of one party state. However, you have effectively distinguished yourself as a person who is comfortable with the backward system of one party state.

As such, it is extremely disappointing that in this era you can entertain this undemocratic system which is partly responsible for the political, social and economic stagnation our country experienced under UNIP.

I agree with you that it is not Mr. Michael Sata who wants to bring back a one party state. Instead, it is unpopular characters like you who can’t win competitive democratic elections that would introduce one party state system on the pretext that people want it.

Please take note that it is fallacious for you to link alleged people’s satisfaction with the good works of Mr. Sata to demands for a one party state. People who are happy with the performance of President Sata are free to give him a second term just as much as they would be free to continue voting for PF until the end of the world. Nevertheless, going back to the vomit of the one party state is a totally different issue.

I am therefore amazed that as a learned person, a lawyer and State Counsel you can fail to distinguish these issues. I am equally scandalized that a person of your stature can entertain the archaic system of one party state.

I must say that I now understand why you as Justice Minister sees no problem when the Zambia Police Force, not Police Service, stop the opposition from holding even indoor meetings with party leaders while allowing your party and yourself particularly to do the same. Yes, I now understand – it is because you don’t appreciate multi-party democracy.

Against this background, I kindly urge you to quit politics because you don’t fit in our culture of multi-party democracy. You belong to the politics of the period before 1991 when Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) led the revolution to reject the one party state system.

I also appeal to members of PF who believe in multi-party democracy to reject your leadership. They should realize that your thinking is contrary to the PF election promise to promote good governance under our multiparty democratic dispensation.

Finally, I wish to take advantage of this opportunity to warn PF members that careless talk that threatens our democracy will cause resentment and kill the little support that PF has retained.

Yours in the spirit of multiparty democracy,

Frank Bwalya, Leader of ABZ party and former PF campaigner.