Kalaba’s CF party ditches UKA, goes solo

Kalaba’s CF party ditches UKA, goes solo

By George Zulu

HARRY Kalaba’s party, the Citizens First (CF), has withdrawn from the United Kwacha Alliance (UKA).

Announcing the departure from the opposition coalition at a press briefing yesterday, Kalaba said CF would like to meet the demands of the people of Zambia by assessing its associations and operations.

He said associating with UKA had blocked the opposition party’s ability to foster party programmes and functions.

“Some of our commitments have inhibited our ability to explicitly pursue our programmes as the Citizens First without looking over our shoulders to avoid being injurious or offending others,” he said.

Kalaba thanked UKA partners and leadership, saying his party was still looking forward to a united opposition which would kick out the oppressive United Party for National Development (UPND) and President Hakainde Hichilema’s government.

“We regret to announce that the CF is effective today [yesterday] disengaging from the United Kwacha Alliance. As our partnership ends with UKA, we would like to state that we remain committed to the wisdom of a united opposition with the primary objective of liberating the people of Zambia and getting rid of a repressive regime that is keen on taking away the freedom of association and the democracy that our forefathers won through their blood and sweat,” he said.

He said the Citizens First had gained the energy to stop the UPND, a regime he described as tyrannical.

And Kalaba has said the culture of lies and propaganda by the UPND is hurting the country.

He said while the tenets of leadership demanded integrity and honest, the UPND and Hichilema had subjected Zambians to perpetual lies and dishonest.

“This government has been uncharacteristically good at telling lies and propaganda to the point where literary everything any one of the leaders says must be treated with a pinch of salt. Their tendency to tell lies and half-truths has resulted in most women and youths to start shunning politics for fear of being transformed into liars,” he said.

Kalaba said it was sad that despite the highest percentage of failure Hichilema had scored, he was still pleading to Zambians for the second term of office.