Alot of Zambians are pessimistic, they’re asking the question ;
Opposition Alliances have failed in the past, what will be different now when everyone wants to be president.
The answer to that lies in what is called circumstances.
You see between 2001 and 2011, the people of Zambia were just tired of MMD, it was fatigue, they just wanted to see something new.
But overall even though the MMD government was corrupt, it was not to an extent that they destroyed the economy, it didn’t border on incompetence and economic sabotage.
Under the MMD the economy was still functioning and the tenets of democracy were still adhered to. Michael Sata was free to hold rallies, he was free to traverse the country and hold political meetings anywhere in the country at any time.
So an Alliance at that time was not a matter of urgency, Zambians could still tolerate and live with the MMD even when an alliance failed.
The circumstances today are very different, the PF under President Edgar Lungu has completely destroyed the economy, they have destroyed democracy, taken away our freedoms and turned the country into a banana republic. Corruption is on an unimaginable industrial scale and they do it openly with the full blessings and protection of the President.
There is a realization among all well meaning opposition leaders that ;
1: If the PF is allowed to continue beyond 2021, there will be no more democracy, it will be a one party state under Lungu.
2: If the PF go beyond 2021 the country will become a basket case like Zimbabwe and the rule of law will completely break down.
There’s a fierce urgency to act now, if we don’t act now this country will be damaged beyond control.
The only surest way for us to get rid of the PF is to solidly unite behind one candidate on an agreed set of principles.
What should matter now is not who should govern but how the country should be governed.
We are confident that the level of maturity and understanding in the alliance is genuine and that we will deliver this time around.
Mark our words, it will happen! -NDC