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PF's political immunity is vulnerable, says Mpombo

PF's political immunity is vulnerable, says Mpombo
By Lambwe Kachali
Saturday March 01, 2008 [03:00]

PATRIOTIC Front’s political immune system has become more vulnerable and the party will be an empty shell in 2011, defence minister George Mpombo has charged. Mpombo was reacting to PF president Michael Sata’s remarks that his party was enjoying enormous support following its victory in last week’s Kanyama by-elections.

Mpombo said Sata should start putting his house in order because PF’s meltdown had begun following the slim difference by which MMD was defeated.

He said unlike in the 2006 general elections where the ruling MMD came third and was beaten by a much bigger margin of more than 8,000 votes, PF would not be a force to reckon with in the 2011 elections.

Mpombo said the Kanyama difference of 441 votes was hollow and not worth celebrating.

“Kanyama result is a referendum. For example, in 2006 elections PF polled 17,741 followed by UPND with 14,467 and MMD came third after polling 9,657. So there was a whooping difference of more than 8,000 votes. And if you make a comparative analysis on Kanyama vote difference, it will show you that MMD has gained a lot of popularity,” Mpombo said.

He said Sata’s claims that his party was more popular in the country was an indication that he was engaging in an exercise bordering on “self-deception”.
Mpombo said Kanyama polls were a testimony that Sata was declining at an amazingly rapid rate.

He said PF would become an empty shell in the 2011 general elections, ending Sata's political career that he said was being perpetuated by his unstoppable hunger for State House and not service for the country.

Mpombo further said Sata should not engage in political futility by debating the minimum education qualifications for presidential candidates outside the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

“I think Sata is just shedding crocodile tears because discussing age limit, minimum education qualifications for presidential candidates outside the NCC is nothing. The man is just beating propaganda drums. All this will not help him unless he freely allows his MPs to fully participate in the constitution- making process. But if this does not happen, I am sorry Sata’s ambitions will not be fulfilled,” said Mpombo.

On Monday Sata said his party was becoming more and more popular than MMD and UPND despite the huge amounts of money those parties pumped in the Kanyama by-elections.

Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, PF

posted by MrK @ 6:41 AM