By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –

THE MMD on the Copperbelt has said there are slim chances for the opposition parties to unite because of selfishness and populist tendencies among the leaders.

The former ruling party has also admitted that opposition leaders lack the skills that endeared President Michael Sata to the Zambian people while he was in opposition.

MMD Copperbelt information and publicity secretary Yotam Mtayachalo said selfishness among opposition party leaders had continued to stifle efforts towards a united opposition.

Mr Mtayachalo, in a seeming death knell he sounded at a Press briefing in Kitwe yesterday, said opposition party leaders had been selfish and, therefore, created many hurdles in the dream for a consolidated opposition in Zambia.

He said each political party wanted to prove their popularity over the other.

“We are not going to achieve anything if we continue to be selfish. The biggest problem is that MMD wants to show that the party is more popular than UPND (United Party for National Development) and equally UPND wants to show that it’s more popular than MMD,” Mr Mtayachalo said.

He said this had deprived the Zambian people of a strong opposition that would contribute effectively to the governance of the country.

Mr Mtayachalo said the opposition parties in their current fragmented state had failed to serve their purpose of providing checks and balances to the ruling Patriotic Front.

“President Michael Sata offered effective checks and balances when he was in opposition and this made the MMD work harder, but we are not seeing this under the current opposition,” he said.

Mr Mtayachalo, who said the MMD had indicated willingness to work with other opposition parties, challenged UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to come out in the

open and state his position on calls for an opposition merger.

“Our appeal to HH is for him to give us his position on the need for a united opposition in view of appeals by his fellow opposition leaders like Alliance for Better Zambia president Frank Bwalya,” he said.

Mr Mtayachalo also accused Government of failing to fulfill its campaign promises of improving the welfare of the people through proper taxation and other means.