RAINBOW party general secretary Wynter Kabimba says political parties that have lost elections more than five times should be deregistered.

On Monday, UPND secretary general Stephen Katuka said if he had his way, political parties such as Kabimba’s Rainbow Party would be deregistered for failure to participate in electoral activities.

He was commenting on Kabimba’s remarks that no political party had invited him to form an alliance.

Katuka dismissed the former justice minister’s assertions as baseless, saying the onus was not on the UPND or other opposition to approach him, but on Kabimba to engage other political parties.

But, in an interview, Kabimba said there was no law in the country that provided for the deregistration of political parties that did not participate in elections.

“I have always been reluctant to make comments about people’s opinions about me. I don’t want to lower myself to that kind of language. If someone wants to raise a point about something that I said and they do not agree with me, let them advance an argument. An argument which is in the context of what I said. There is no law in Zambia, and I am sure the UPND secretary general knows, that provides for deregistration of political parties because they are not participating in elections. If that were the case, then I can also say to the UPND through him that then we must have another law which, when you constantly lose elections, your party must be deregistered and that would apply to the UPND. Tell him that I do not lose sleep about becoming president of the country,” Kabimba said.

“Besides, I have been a minister in government and I know exactly how government works and I know all the corners of State House. And I made major decisions when I was Minister of Justice with Michael Sata as president. So that insatiable appetite for me to become president is not what drives me. So when I make a statement and this is coming from the meeting that we held last Thursday, expressing my view point and if he doesn’t agree with me, let him say he doesn’t agree with me. When I speak, I always ensure that I am speaking on a national matter. And I also know that people may disagree with me, I also know that people may have a different view from mine but I respect them. I have never held my view to be the best view ever.”

He said the opposition UPND was insensitive to different views.

“So if he wants that law, we must also have a law that when you are secretary general of a political party, and your party is consistently losing elections to the point of where you can get 2,000 votes in an area where you were claiming that you would win elections, then your party must be deregistered. And he must also be removed as SG. Maybe for him, he still has dreams of being close to State House, I have been there. I have met presidents in this world whom he would probably never meet in his lifetime and who hold me in high esteem. I have participated in meetings where I have made remarkable contributions at international level and I don’t know how much he has done. So to start getting into this ping pong of views about one another, I think it is unfair. I want to plead with him that if he wants to say something about what I said, let him simply say that he doesn’t agree with me,” said Kabimba.

“But to start talking about the Rainbow Party in the context in which he is putting it, I think it is unfair to members of the Rainbow Party. I know that our colleagues in the UPND are very insensitive to different views, that is how the structure of the party is, but I was not brought up that way. I was not brought up on this planet to glorify individuals. I was brought up in a family where I spoke my mind to my parents. So if Mr Katuka expects me to glorify him or anybody, I think he is looking for the wrong person. Next time, let him raise an issue with me because if he doesn’t and I get back at him personally, it will not be good. So please, let him not force me in that direction. Tell him that any political party that is going to lose elections more than five times must also be deregistered.”