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Zambia is at crossroads Miyanda

Zambia is at crossroads Miyanda
By Brighton Phiri
Thursday August 30, 2007 [04:01]

HERITAGE Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda yesterday said Zambia was at the crossroads and declared that he would never give up on his desire to serve the country. And Brig Gen Miyanda said President Mwanawasa should blame himself for appointing ignorant ministers. Speaking during a Radio Phoenix "Face the Media" programme, Brig Gen Miyanda explained that his silence in the political arena did not mean he was not concerned with what was happening in the country.

"I have never given up the spirit to serve my country," Brig Gen Miyanda said. He observed that Zambia's political landscape had been soiled with corruption and deceit. Brig Gen Miyanda wondered why Zambians, who had taken the lead in fighting against corruption, were easily corrupted.

"I feel sad that our political landscape has been soiled. Zambians are talking about corruption but each time the corrupt people meet them, they readily accept bribes," Brig Gen Miyanda said. "It is very discouraging for people who genuinely want to serve the country."

He said he was concerned at the state of affairs in the country.
"I have learnt a bit during this period when I have been in the desert. I am very concerned at this stage which we are today as a country...I can simply describe it as a crossroad," Brig Gen Miyanda said.

On President Mwanawasa's disclosure that his ministers were ignorant about the Constitution, Brig Gen Miyanda said it was wrong for President Mwanawasa to disgrace his ministers during the swearing in ceremony at State House.

"There is no one to blame for the ministers' ignorance. It is his duty as an appointing authority to groom his ministers," Brig Gen Miyanda said. "It was not a fair comment on the ministers. It is not the best way of handling such matters. If I were President Mwanawasa, I could have called my ministers and advise them privately."

He said it was wrong from President Mwanawasa to use the swearing in ceremony to lambast and threaten the new appointees with dismissals even before they started their work.

He said President Mwanawasa's revelation brought into question why the National Constitutional Conference Bill was rushed to the National Assembly.

"This is the very reason why we as a party we called for deferring of the bill because we considered that inadequate considerations of pertinent issues that have been raised were not adequately covered," Brig Gen Miyanda said.

"If such ministers as portrayed by President Mwanawasa, go to the constitutional conference, they will behave like ordinary cadres and prevent delegates of substance from presenting their case."

Brig Gen Miyanda said the constitutional conference risked being overshadowed by government agents, who could use the event to recruit some vocal persons from the civil society and opposition parties. He expressed concern that the 2011 presidential and general elections had been attached to the constitution making process.

Brig Gen Miyanda asked Zambians to take note of the fact that majority of the citizens did not understand constitutional issues and vast land was being lost to foreigners as they were debating the new constitution.

He said the constitution making process should not be left in the hands of the lawyers alone.

"No one is irrelevant in the constitution making process," he said.
On the NGO and Anti-terrorism Bills, Brig Gen Miyanda said government could not be trusted over the two bills. He wondered why government rushed the anti-terrorism bill into the National Assembly before people debated its content.

Brig Gen Miyanda observed that the anti-terrorism bill had similar draconian clauses like the Penal Code in the current constitution.
"I feel there was no need for the civil society to negotiate over the NGO bill," he said.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, GENERAL MIYANDA

posted by MrK @ 4:40 AM