(LUSAKATIMES) Prof Chirwa to stay away from the MMD presidential race

Prof Chirwa to stay away from the MMD presidential race
Posted on August 23rd, 2008

Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), Presidential hopeful Professor Clive Chirwa has disclosed that he will not float his name for the party’s presidential candidate in the forth-coming by-election following the death of President Mwanawasa.

Professor Chirwa says he has no intentions to stand as MMD’s presidential aspirant because he was preparing for the 2011 general elections.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka today that he has decided not to float his name as MMD’s presidential hopeful because of the need to maintain stability in the ruling party following the untimely demise of Dr Mwanawasa.

Professor Chirwa, who is also a United Kingdom (UK) based University Lecturer urged the Zambian people to vote for a credible candidate whom he said will add to the virtues of President Mwanawasa when the country goes to the polls.

When asked which party he would support in the forth-coming Presidential by-elections, Professor Chirwa said that he will rally behind the MMD party as it was the only party that was committed to uplifting the living standards of its people.

Professor Chirwa said there is need for the country to vote for a credible and mature candidate that will be an economic manager of the country and who is going to continue with fight against corruption in the country.

Meanwhile, Professor Chirwa has advised investors in the country not to pull out their investment portfolios following the untimely death of President Mwanawasa.

He said there is no need for investors to panic about their investment portfolios in Zambia as government was doing everything possible to continue with the prudent economic management and good governance despite the death of Dr Mwanawasa.

He said investors in the country and those intending to invest in the country should not panic as the country’s economic fundamentals were on track and not changed in any way to suit certain interests of some political leaders in the country.

Professor Chirwa said government through the leadership of the acting President Rupiah Banda will continue with its prudent economic management and fiscal discipline and adhering to the tenets of good governance.

He further disclosed that he has brought British investors whom he said were in the process of investing in the country’s road construction industry, railway and mining sectors respectively.

In a related development, Former Vice President Enock Kavindele has advised MMD presidential aspirants to desist from discussing the party’s Presidential successions before the burial of the late President Mwanawasa.

Mr. Kavindele said that it was too early for MMD’s presidential hopefuls to start announcing their intentions to stand as the party’s Presidential aspirants in the forth-coming Presidential by-elections.

The former Vice President has since advised the MMD party to remain calm and peaceful as they mourn President Mwanawasa with dignity and respect.

And Zambia’s renowned soccer commentator Denis Liwewe has described Dr Mwanawasa’s death as a big blow to the entire Zambian sports fraternity.

Mr. Liwewe told ZANIS in a separate interview in Lusaka today that the sports fraternity in Zambia has learnt with the deepest sense of shock and sorrow of the untimely death of Dr Mwanawasa.

He said President Mwanawasa during his reign as Zambia’s Republican President and Patron of Sports in the country devised an effective sports action plan that looked into the development of the sports fraternity in the country.

Mr. Liwewe said the sports fraternity in the country, will greatly miss Dr Mwanawasa’s leadership as he had provided impeccable leadership for both the country and Africa as a whole.

He conveyed his deepest condolences on behalf of the sports fraternity to the First Lady, Maureen Mwanawasa, First family, the people of Zambia and the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD).

ZANIS/TK/AM/ENDS