Maravi

Rupiah is not sincere over salaries - Sata

Rupiah is not sincere over salaries - Sata
By Patson Chilemba, Lambwe Kachali and Maluba Jere
Saturday September 20, 2008 [04:00]

Patriotic Front president Michael Sata yesterday said Rupiah Banda is not being sincere over the salary and allowance increments for constitutional office holders because he would have listened immediately people demanded the withdrawal of the emoluments bill from Parliament about two months ago. And Sata charged that it was criminal for Vice-President Rupiah Banda to declare himself winner in the forthcoming presidential election.

But justice minister George Kunda urged Zambians to be wary of desperate politicians like Sata, who could peddle lies on technical issues which he did not understand.

Addressing the press at the PF secretariat, Sata said if Vice-President Banda was sincere, he would have stopped the emoluments bill seeking to increase salaries and allowances for constitutional office holders and senior government officials when the issue came up in Parliament.

He said Vice-President Banda's decision to take the bill back to Parliament was for political expedience.

"We appealed to him to suspend the bill. He was Acting President, he would have suspended that bill in Parliament...people would have respected him. So he's just bluffing because he has seen people are talking," Sata said. "The answer is he's living in a fool's paradise, wishful thinking that he's going to be the President and sign the bill and get a hefty allowance."

Sata also said Vice-President Banda had no power to sign the emoluments bill into law.
On Thursday, Vice-President Banda said he had not assented to the bill and would send it back to Parliament for reconsideration.

Sata also warned Vice-President Banda and his government to stop being provocative. He said tension in the country was high.

"The statement he made on QFM of declaring himself winner is criminal and does not give any hope to the people of Zambia that we are going to have a free and fair election in this country. He has brought in Vernon Mwaanga, he has brought in vultures like Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika, Mbita Chitala, this George Chulumanda and others," Sata said.

"He goes to boast on a media that he's already been declared winner, and under the Electoral Commission, it's an offence for somebody to declare himself winner. The only institution which has been given authority is the Electoral Commission of Zambia ECZ. But because the Electoral Commission of Zambia falls under him, there is nothing they are going to do to him."

Sata said Vice-President Banda had been lying from the time he announced the election date. He said recently, Vice-President Banda lied when he announced that he would constitute a committee of ministers to look into the fuel prices when the price of the commodity had come down on the world market. He said there was no need to set up a committee to look into the prices because all that was needed was for finance minister Ng'andu Magande to append his signature.

"And they have already given him Mwaanga K850 million to travel to South Africa to go and see these people who are printing ballot papers. Now what government do we expect from comrade Rupiah Banda?" Sata asked. "They released last week K200 billion from the National Constitutional Conference NCC which money was given to Emmanuel Nyirenda, permanent secretary for Ministry of Information with instruction to distribute this money to all the provincial Zambia Information Services to campaign for Rupiah Banda. what do you expect out of this? Zambia is going to be worse than NAMBOARD."

On Vice-President Banda's visit to Lusaka City Market where he was welcomed with PF symbols and honkings, Sata commended police for the manner in which they handled the situation and protected the Vice-President. However, Sata said the action by Vice-President Banda was provocative.

"He has been Vice-President for two years. If he cared about the people of Soweto or Intercity or City Market, he would have been there," he said.

Sata wondered how the K16 billion meant for the drainages in Kabwata and Kanyama had been spent, because if Vice-President Banda cared enough, drainages could have been worked on already.

"And for him to be saying, he hopes the Ministry of Health will not forget them when they have a generator...because the people who are in Kanyama, they are not different from me, they are not different from Rupiah Banda," he said.

Meanwhile, Sata said what Zambia needed now was a mature leader and not "under-five" politicians.

"Hakainde Hichilema, he's too fast. When we gave him something to privatise, he privatised for his pocket," he said.

Sata said the problem with "under-five" politicians was that they wanted to become rich quickly.

He said it was difficult to understand how Hichilema managed to become chairperson of some companies he helped privatise. Sata said Hichilema was a political failure who had reduced the significance of UPND in the country. He said Hichilema thought he could buy the Republican presidency in the same manner he bought the party presidency.

Sata said Hichilema would be lucky to reach his age. He said even when magistrates were promoted to become judges, they were given white wigs as a sign of greater responsibility, wisdom and maturity.

"So you find that the young man should not feel the steam because we are too strong," Sata said. "Hakainde Hichilema says 'I'm the best man for Zambia'. Now who is the groom because there must be a groom to have the best man."

But George Kunda said at a press briefing that he was not surprised about Sata's ignorance of the constitutional provisions.

He said two weeks ago, he issued a comprehensive statement on transitional issues and that he explained the powers of Vice-President Banda in his capacity as acting President. Kunda said he referred to, and quoted specific constitutional provisions.

"I do not expect that Mr Sata has taken time to read and understand the constitutional provisions dealing with the powers of a person acting as President of the Republic.

A few weeks ago, Mr Sata gave an interview on the a Radio station in which he claimed that the presidential emoluments Amendments Bill 2008, the ministerial and parliamentary offices Emolument Emolument Bill 2008 and the constitutional office holders Emolument Amendment Bill 2008 were all improperly before the National Assembly because they were signed, not by the Attorney General, but the Solicitor General.

He added that the Attorney General declined on principle to sign those Bills, hence the signature by the newly appointed Solicitor General," Kunda said. "Nothing can be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, the Attorney General was out of the country at the time the bills were finalised.

I would, of course not be surprised to learn that Mr Sata is ignorant of the provisions of Article 55 (5) of the Constitution and section 32 of the interpretation and general provision Act chapter 2 of the Laws of Zambia.

These provisions state that the power conferred or duty imposed on the Attorney General by any written law may be exercised or performed by the Solicitor General when, due to illness or absence, the Attorney General is unable to do so and in any case where the Attorney General has authorised the Solicitor General to do so."

Kunda said it was clear that Sata should not mislead the nation, especially on important national issues. He urged Sata to research if he were to make a good leader, saying in the current state, Sata was not capable of leading the country.

"This would have been a more dignified option than to take the public's gullibility for granted. I have no doubt that the public expects better from people who aspire to ascend to the highest office in the land than naked lies.

Mr Sata and others of his kind should understand that the Ministry of Justice has legal experts who understand what they are doing. In future, lies from people like Mr Sata, which tend to paint government in bad light will not go unchallenged. The public should be wary of desperate political leaders who will peddle lies on technical issues over which they understand little or nothing at all," said Kunda.

Meanwhile, Independent Churches Organisation of Zambia chairperson Rev David Masupa has expressed disappointment with the MMD for not honouring late President Mwanawasa's wishes on his preferred successor.

"We are extremely disappointed because they have not only dishonoured the President's wish but they also dishonoured the first lady's advice on who was the late President's preferred candidate," he said. "We are very disappointed because the first lady is on record as having said president Mwanawasa left a lot of money in reserves and that he wanted finance minister Ng'andu Magande to succeed him because of his discipline in handling public resources and being a good manager."

In a related development, Rev Masupa doubted Vice-President Banda's move not to assent to the bill that seeks to increase salaries for constitutional office holders. He said this was designed to gain political mileage in his ongoing presidential campaigns. Rev Masupa cautioned Vice-President Banda against reversing his words on this matter otherwise he would be called a hypocrite.

And UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma said Vice-President Banda's decision to send the bill back to Parliament for reconsideration was a political ploy meant to deceive voters about the real intentions of the MMD government.

Kakoma wondered when Parliament would review the bill since it adjourned sine die last week.

"Mr Banda knows very well that Parliament adjourned and will not reconvene until after the October 30 presidential election. When will Parliament review the salaries and allowances for the President, Vice President, ministers and other constitutional office bearers?" Kakoma asked. "Will Mr Banda summon Parliament to sit and reconsider the bill before election time? Why did Mr Banda not return the bill to Parliament before it adjourned on Friday last week?"

Labels: CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA, SATA

posted by MrK @ 4:41 AM