Maravi

I was embarrassed with ex-foreign affairs permanent secretary - Levy

I was embarrassed with ex-foreign affairs permanent secretary - Levy
By Bivan Saluseki
Wednesday April 04, 2007 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa yesterday said he was embarrassed with former Ministry of Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Msadabwe Lambart's handling of diplomat's credential appointments. Swearing in Tens Kapoma as the new Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at State House, President Mwanawasa asked him to be dedicated and be advised timely of certain decisions. "I do not want situations as at now where their excellencies have to ring me to communicate whatever they want to communicate because when they requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she (Lambart) had taken three or four months before I could be informed. There was one time when South African diplomats and ambassadors who are also accredited to Zambia, when enough became enough they went to our ambassador so that he could secure an appointment for them to present credentials.

In the mean time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were sitting on the requests as if that was good. I was extremely embarrassed and I wrote to the Permanent Secretary. I said whether or not you like, I will accept this... I set two days, I will accept the credentials. That's when things started moving. This is completely unacceptable," he said. Lambart is awaiting deployment to another ministry. President Mwanawasa told Kapoma to always bear in mind that the ministry he would head was an important ministry. "In fact it should be considered as an extension of State House. The decisions and pronouncements which we make from the ministry whether they are made by me or by anybody else, it is me who gets the credit or who gets the debit," he said.

President Mwanawasa said foreign policy was about Zambia's relations with the rest of the world. He said activities done at such ministries, just as the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, were done under his authority. President Mwanawasa said it would be unacceptable for him to disassociate himself from the minister's actions. President Mwanawasa said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should explain the policies of other ministries to the outside world. Kapoma was ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary permanent representative to the United Nations.

Labels: MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 4:16 AM