FORMER Senanga UPND member of parliament Mukumbuta Mulowa has appealed to President Hakainde Hichilema to forgive him, saying he regrets going against the party’s position on Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019.

In an interview, Mulowa said he was willing to go back to the UPND but he was scared of the harassment.

“UPND is my party, I can go back but what is happening, it seems they want to run a closed-door type of politics. They are harassing people that want to join them. If at all I am welcomed, I can bounce back. I regret that I went against my party. But Bill 10 was a good law, far better than the current Constitution that we are using. And the sooner they start the constitutional amendment, the better. There are a lot of lacunas in this current Constitution. And I want to appeal to all the opposition members of parliament to support the government to come up with the constitutional amendment,” Mulowa said.

“Even if you wish to go back, look at what happened to Rashida (Mulenga), look at what happened to Charmaine Musonda and other people, they are being harassed. I have talked to the lower ranks like the District Constituency Mayor; those are the people that I have been trying to appeal to but not these higher offices. My President Hakainde should find a place in his heart to forgive me. Even when I am not welcomed back to the party but going against your parents, I think it is not good.”

Mulowa said it was unfair for the opposition to be criticising the UPND administration after being in government for only a few months.

“I think the type of politics we are playing now of criticising the government even when they are just a few months in government… I feel they should give President Hakainde a chance to rule this country. Zambian people must be patient, they should give him a bit of time. Even two years is better to see where we are headed than opposing him now. I think they are trying to be unfair. I know that is the role of the opposition to provide checks and balances, but I feel it is unfair to criticize him now,” said Mulowa.