By CHILA NAMAIKO –
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has said the resignation of its party vice-president Richard Kapita has the potential to influence other members to join the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
Mr Kapita, who defected to the PF at a rally addressed by President Edgar Lungu in Mwinilunga on Saturday said he decided to join the ruling party because the Head of State inspired him as he wanted to work with all those that wanted to develop Zambia.
Mr Kapita was one of the founding members of the UPND in 1998 and he was Mwinilunga Member of Parliament (MP) on the party ticket.
UPND Southern Province information and publicity secretary Rudolph Phiri said the opposition party has
lost a valuable member.
He said Mr Kapita’s decision to leave UPND could entice other party members to follow suit.
“You know, losing a party individual of whatever status, it means a vote has been lost already,” he said.
Mr Phiri said that Mr Kapita’s individual democratic right could also attract a few UPND members at grassroots level, such as those that are close to him, to defect.
He cited some party members from North-Western Province where Mr Kapita had commanded a larger following of members at the time he was MP for Mwinilunga.
He, however, said the party will work to strengthen its structures at all levels, to prevent further defections.
Mr Phiri said the departure of Mr Kapita may be significant in North-Western Province but the party remains unshaken especially in its Southern Province strongholds.