Maravi

NCC should look at age limit for presidency, says Mpombo

NCC should look at age limit for presidency, says Mpombo
By Patson Chilemba
Tuesday December 18, 2007 [03:00]

The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) delegates should consider looking at the age limit for people holding the office of Republican presidency, defence minister George Mpombo has suggested. And Mpombo said Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata has demonstrated that at his old age, he is incapable of providing fresh ideas because he has become mentally tired.

In an interview, Mpombo said there would be nothing wrong with NCC delegates to consider the age limit for people to hold the presidency. He suggested that it should be prohibitive for people to hold the presidential office after the age of 80.

“I think anyone above 80 years…that will be too prohibitive to hold office. The Constitutional Conference will be open to look at what is the best way. So if people talk about 80, they will be totally in order,” Mpombo said.

“Even as we sit down, we must start looking at the age limits for the presidency.”
Mpombo said some people became mentally tired when they reached a certain age and in the process service delivery to the nation is affected.

“We must drive towards that. Those are some of the areas that could be looked at so that the office of the President has got capacity to run the state,” he said.
And Mpombo cited Sata as one of those whose minds has become tired.

“We really need to put in place safeguards. For example, Mr. Sata has demonstrated that at his age (71), he is incapable of providing fresh ideas,” Mpombo said.

“There are certain fellows who could be very bright, like the Vice-President Rupiah Banda who is also 71 years old. He’s full of mental drive. He is an intellectual dynamite, but for Mr. Sata, it’s his age coupled with his educational background.”

Mpombo said unlike other old leaders who could perform their duties diligently, Sata was “woven from a different kind of material”. “So for Mr. Sata, the problem is his mental capacity…his own background, the way he reacts coupled with his level of education,” Mpombo said.

“For Mr. Sata, he’s woven from a different material mentally.”

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, NCC, SATA

posted by MrK @ 1:30 PM