Father Frank Bwalya pulls out from Grand Coalition

THE Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ) has withdrawn from the Grand Coalition for a people driven Constitution.
ABZ Secretary General Mulenga Shula said the decision to pull out of the coalition was necessitated by a conspiracy by some members of the coalition to expel ABZ leader Father Frank Bwalya for supporting President Edgar Lungu during the Presidential Election.
During a meeting on Thursday, some members of the Coalition tried to embarrass the ABZ leader Fr. Frank Bwalya by demanding for his ejection from the meeting because he was close to President Lungu.
However some members of the Coalition defended the ABZ leader and wondered why he was singled out when there were other political parties who were members of the Coalition that supported President Lungu and campaigned for him.
Ms Shula said in a statement that the decision to support President Lungu was made by the ABZ national executive team which was the decision-making body in between party conventions.
“We regret to inform our members and the general public that ABZ shall no longer be part of the Grand Coalition that has been pushing for a people driven constitution.
“Our decision has been necessitated by a conspiracy by some members of the Grand Coalition to expel our leader Fr. Frank Bwalya from the Coalition for supporting His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu as presidential candidate for the PF in the January 20, 2015 presidential election,” she said.
The party was disappointed at the attempt by some members of the grand coalition to malign and embarrass Fr. Bwalya for implementing a decision of the ABZ to support President Lungu.
She advised the coalition to promote tenets of democracy and constitutionalism and not allow anyone to use its platform to advance an agenda contrary to the same values that the coalition wanted to see in a good and people driven constitution.
The ABZ would continue to constructively engage the PF Government on the need for a people driven constitution and relate with President Lungu and his government for a common good.
She further commended President Lungu for introducing politics of development in the country as opposed to politics of hate, antagonism and tribalism.
Ms Shula said ABZ would not allow anyone to force it to endorse their preferred candidate just because he or she signed a social contract promising to satisfy the demands of the Grand Coalition.