Maravi

HH warns MMD against vote rigging

HH warns MMD against vote rigging
By Inonge Noyoo
Friday September 26, 2008 [04:00]

UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema has warned that there will be no 'love-affair' if the ruling MMD attempts to steal votes in next month's presidential election. And Hichilema said running a government no longer required political experience but skills and political management.

Speaking at the Newsmakers Forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post on Wednesday, Hichilema appealed to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to manage the coming presidential election properly.

He was responding to a question from a Lusaka resident Killan Ranchord who wanted to know what would happen if Zambia found itself in a situation where election results were disputed as was the case in Kenya or Zimbabwe.

Hichilema said he would not want to see Zambia ending up with a unity government formed out of disputed elections.

He said there would be no essence of elections if the country would end up in a unity government.

"I wouldn't want to be in government just to be in government...I want to be in government so that I can deliver for the people of Zambia. Let us not threaten our young democracy. Please Africans, let us mature, let us come of age, we are responsible for our own destiny," he said.
Hichilema said signs of dictatorship were already beginning to show in Vice-President Rupiah Banda because people were being victimised using state institutions.

"Already we are seeing the taste of what will come if Rupiah Banda wins this election," he said.
And Hichilema said running a government no longer required experience but skills.

He said the world was now modern and one could not run a country the way they would in the 1950s.

Hichilema said politics was no longer about experience but the skills and the political management to implement policies that would improve people's lives.

"Mukamba that political experience, HH alibe (You say HH lacks political experience). Now let me ask you: who wants political experience that denies the people of Zambia food? Who wants political experience that has led to inherent and endemic corruption?

Who wants political experience that makes you feel shy to say you are a Zambian when you are in South Africa?" he asked. "Siti funa political experience ya so , ni yamu 1950s, 1960 and 1970 (We don't need that kind of political experience, it was for the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s). We need a skills-based political management."
He said most of the problems that Zambia was facing could be traced to the choice of leadership.

Hichilema said UPND wanted to give Zambia a sixth sense in the presidency and the leadership.

"To run politics is not a game, running politics is a serious business. Some people are still trying to portray politics as a game where everyone is thrown in one bucket together with clowns. Politicians who aspire for presidency must understand issues because if they don't, Cabinet ministers will be lying to them," he said.

Hichilema also said UPND had a policy on viable pension funds which would also enable politicians retire or resign without contemplating rejoining politics for survival.

He said most aged politicians were rejoining politics for survival.
Hichilema also observed that the poor reading culture in the country was dangerous because people did not want to read even on how their money was being used.

Hichilema observed that very few people read the Auditor General's Report to see how finances were being managed.

"People here don't read even how their money is used. They don't even read the Auditor General's Report at all. When I quote figures people get shocked but these reports sit at Government Printers. These are your reports, we need to know what is happening to your money," he said.

And Hichilema said unlike parties such as PF, Forum for Democracy (FDD) and Heritage Party that were created out of frustration, UPND was formed to provide a developmental agenda after a realisation that MMD was not delivering.

Hichilema said there was need to put in place developmental, economic and social policies that would result in a small poor population of Zambia earning enough income.

He said his party would create a government that promote the processing of raw materials which would result in the creation of jobs and consequently reduce the high unemployment levels.

Hichilema said unlike other political parties whose manifestos were based on issues they did not understand, his party offered a different way of running government to benefit the people.

Hichilema said the UPND was the right party to form government because its main focus was to run the country with strong planning, visionary thinking, good political management, strong implementation and control.

He said his party would also create a business environment, which would promote growth that would in turn promote review for effective economic social programmes.

He said to take the country forward, there was need for social programmes with clarity on the economic side.

He said UPND, if elected, would also give loans to widows and provide tax rebates to companies that employed women, the differently able , support orphanages or run scholarships as a way of reducing the high unemployment levels.

Hichilema said UPND would set standards of delivery in public office as well as run an open government where all partners such as civil society, the church and opposition were seen as partners and not competitors.

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, MMD

posted by MrK @ 5:14 PM