Maravi

I'm ready to meet Chiluba in court - HH

I'm ready to meet Chiluba in court - HH
By Mwala Kalaluka
Tuesday May 29, 2007 [04:00]

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema yesterday said he was ready to meet Chiluba in court over the monkey statement. And the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) and the ruling MMD yesterday shunned a one-day 2006 general elections postmortem meeting organised by the Civil Society Elections Network (CSEN) at Cresta Golfview Hotel..

In an interview, Hichilema said he would not in any way compensate Chiluba following his likening of the theft of public resources that characterised the former president’s regime to putting a monkey in charge of a maize field. Hichilema said if Chiluba was aggrieved by his remarks, he should seek redress from the courts of law. He said there would be no compensation for anybody that had been found guilty of defrauding the public.

“The courts are there. If he wants he can go to court,” Hichilema said. “Compensation! What compensation? My comments about the monkey are in regards to the actions that were committed and not the persona. There is nothing to do with the personality.”

He explained that his comment was prompted by the disgraceful contents of the London High Court judgment, which found Chiluba liable of having defrauded the people of Zambia of US $41 million.

“What happens to thieves? If you steal do you expect us to glorify you?” Hichilema asked. “The question of compensation does not arise. The money that was stolen could have gone to improve our hospitals and schools.”

Hichilema last week confirmed receiving a letter from Chiluba where he was demanding monetary compensation from him for likening him to a monkey in a maize field following the London High Court judgment. Chiluba is demanding monetary compensation from Hichilema for likening him to a monkey in a maize field.

Hichilema confirmed that he received a letter from Chiluba complaining that his statement in which he said stealing of public resources was terrifying and shameful was libelous. Hichilema said he was doing some consultations on the matter.

UPND sources said Chiluba, through his lawyers, had written a letter to Hichilema in which he expressed his displeasure at the statement. Recently, Hichilema likened the Chiluba term of office to having a monkey in charge of a maize field. "How can you make a monkey a captain of a maize field? You know that a monkey eats maize, so what do you expect," said Hichilema

But the statement incensed Chiluba and he requested that Hichilema, who is his neighbour, offers amends by paying him.

And participants at the 2006 general elections meeting have expressed disappointment at the failure by the ECZ and the representatives from the MMD to attend the forum. Contributing to the discussions during the meeting that was attended by civil society organisations, opposition political parties, media institutions, UPND secretary general Tiens Kahenya urged Zambians to find a solution to the problem of vote rigging.

Labels: CHILUBA, COURTS, ECZ, HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, UPND

posted by MrK @ 5:04 AM