Zambians should avoid regional politics - HH
Zambians should avoid regional politics - HHBy Noel Sichalwe, Patson Chilemba and Joseph Mwenda
Tuesday June 19, 2007 [04:00]
Zambians should avoid regional politics, UPND president Hakainde Hichilema advised yesterday. And education minister Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa said he did not believe in attaching ethnicity to the presidency. Meanwhile, Mwandi MMD member of parliament Michael Kaingu has revealed that chiefs in Western Province were sponsoring them to discuss political leaders.
Commenting on the resolution by a group of some prominent personalities from Western Province that it was time for a Lozi to become Republican president, Hichilema said there was need for a credible leader that would move the country into economic and social independence.
“You don’t choose a leader just because he comes from a certain region or you speak the same language,” Hichilema said. “Once you do that, you will see that there will not be any consensus building on various national issues. Time has come for the country to put in a president who is not a professional politician. We want somebody who can deliver economically and bring social development. There are 12 million Zambians from different ethnic groupings using many dialects. What we need is to focus on quality leadership to move Zambia into a middle class income country.”
Hichilema said there was need for a strong, able and qualified leadership in order to deliver the required development. He said the projected growth of 10 percent gross domestic product (GDP) would require skilled leadership regardless of which region they would come from.
“A president can come from anywhere,” Hichilema said. “We shouldn’t see people hiding in this kind of politics to disadvantage others. If somebody is good, it doesn’t matter where he comes from. I believe the country is ready for economic and social development. We need to provide water, free education, better health delivery system and other social needs.”
Hichilema said Zambians were not looking for a president who would know how to dribble others when in office.
And Prof Lungwangwa, who is also Nalikwanda MMD member of parliament, said although he attended the meeting that was convened to discuss among other things unity amongst the people of Western Province and a roadmap for the identification of a credible candidate with the capacity to mobilise resources to float for the MMD presidency and ultimately Republican presidency, said a national president should have a national character as opposed to a tribal one. He said there was no resolution to have a Lozi president.
“I don’t agree that there was a resolution to the effect that there should be a Lozi president in the country. I haven’t even seen the minutes of that meeting. If there was such a resolution, I don’t agree with it because we should not attach ethnicity to the highest office because that is the highest office that should embrace everyone,” Prof Lungwangwa said.
However, Prof Lungwangwa admitted that some people who attended the meeting said it was time for a Lozi to become president.
“It was a brainstorming meeting on developmental issues and one of the issues that came up was the presidency of MMD. Clearly, those of us who were of MMD were of the view that that was not the right forum to discuss the MMD when there were other members of the opposition,” Prof Lungwangwa said.
However, Prof Lungwangwa said people should be free to attend gatherings that sought to promote development in their areas.
“I was invited and my understanding is that it’s not a regional discussion per se. First of all, my conscience is clear that I was invited to that meeting just like any other member of parliament was invited, and I went there to listen to what that meeting was all about,” said Prof Lungwangwa.
He said every part of the country required equal attention because the poverty affecting Zambia was not regional but national.
Asked if he had any intentions of becoming Republican president, Prof Lungwangwa said he had no such intentions.
Meanwhile, Michael Kaingu said he did not see anything wrong with a Lozi being the next president. However, Kaingu said their meetings were meant to discuss leadership within the province.
“Other provinces are meeting to discuss leadership issues and also look at what they can put on the table for the presidency. So we are doing the same as Lozis. What is wrong with a Lozi being president?” Kaingu asked.
He said although the Lozis had not met particularly to discuss the presidential candidate, they still played a vital role in uniting Zambia.
“Zambia is what it is today because our Litunga agreed to make the Balotseland part of the state,” he said.
Kaingu disclosed that traditional leaders in Western Province had advised them to discuss political leadership.
“We are being sponsored by our chiefs to discus our political leaders and we are only putting our share on the table for consideration,” he said. “If out of what we have offered for leadership is a presidential material, then I see nothing wrong with that person being president.”
And United Liberal Party (ULP) deputy chairman for elections Lawrence Nyambe said his party did not subscribe to the idea that the next president should come from Western Province. Nyambe said ULP was looking forward to a leadership of integrity, with experience and enough knowledge to rule Zambia after 2011.
Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, REGIONALISM, TRIBALISM
posted by MrK @ 5:03 AM
1 Comments:
Can Kaingu say what Barotseland and their Litunga have done for Zambia,besides selling land to he BSA company?
For his own information,Zambia's economy is driven by copper mining and I don't think there's any such developmental economical activities going on in the western province,besides the "kuomboka", which I don't think brings any substancial forex into the country.
Can you wake up folks.......it's the 21st centuary,okay.
Sick!!!!!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home