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TIZ challenges Rupiah to come clean on NRP

TIZ challenges Rupiah to come clean on NRP
By Nicholas Mwale, Macheu Chiwawa and Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday September 28, 2008 [04:00]

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia (TIZ) president Reuben Lifuka has challenged Vice-President Rupiah Banda and the MMD to come out clean on the funding of the National Revolution Party (NRP). And UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema said Zambians will be justified to reject the outcome of the October 30 presidential elections if the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) does not take action against the governing MMD for engaging in bribery.

Addressing trainee journalists at The Post headquarters on Friday, Lifuka wondered what the MMD expected in return from the ‘small parties’ they claimed to have funded.

“If Mulongoti’s theory is correct that MMD donation to ‘small political parties’ was just to assist them, then he should also tell us what those parties will do for MMD,” Lifuka said.

He wondered why the transaction between NRP president Cozmo Mumba and Vice-President Rupiah Banda took place at Government House.
“If the transaction between Cozmo and RB was political party to political party, it should have taken place at the party secretariat,” Lifuka noted. “Why at Government House?”

Lifuka said what happened was political corruption because it was meant to win the support of NRP.

“They should also tell us how many other political parties have received the support of MMD,” he said. “We challenge them to publish the names of the political parties that have received such funding. This will create credibility in the fight against corruption.”

He expressed shock at the contradictory statements from the MMD campaign team over the financing of NRP.

“If you have followed the news stories surrounding the K15 million donation, the whole thing is not making sense. You have RB denying the allegations, and you have Mulongoti confirming that they funded the party so that it can be self sustained,” Lifuka said. “Even the issue of having seen Cozmo and his team at Government House, William Banda denied it while others confirmed the issue.”
He said it was unfortunate that according to the Constitution, the Acting President could not dissolve Cabinet, hence it was difficult to know if a minister was speaking as a minister or campaigning.
“For example, Mulongoti’s speech from his ministerial office was purely on a campaign issue,” Lifuka observed.

He said TIZ might ask the Chief Justice to set a tribunal to query if Mulongoti’s conduct was in line with the Electoral Code of Conduct.
Lifuka further said the Acting President should have asked those ministers who were closely connected with campaigns to go on official leave because it was difficult to know if they were speaking as ministers or campaign managers.

And commenting on the contradiction between Vice-President Banda that he did not give the NRP K15 million while Mulongoti later acknowledged giving the money to the opposition party, Hichilema said the MMD’s bribery was disgusting.

“If the bribes are clearly evident... you have seen it, yesterday Thursday Rupiah Banda saying no, and Mulongoti saying yes and openly saying it is normal for MMD to bribe political parties. To say the least it’s disgusting,” said Hichilema on Friday. “I think that the Electoral Commission and the Anti Corruption Commission must take up this matter. Obviously if this continues and the Electoral Commission does nothing, it justifies the people of Zambia rejecting results.”

He warned the ECZ against tolerating malpractices during the campaigns.
“We also want to send a clear message to the ECZ that any unfair conduct will not be acceptable in the running of these elections,” Hichilema said.

“We are already aware; the MMD has openly confirmed that they are bribing even opposition political parties. I wonder how they can wage the war against corruption if they are leading the way in corrupt activities, so it means that this will transcend electoral process. We do not expect this to be what Zambian people ought to be given.”

Hichilema said the UPND expected a platform that would allow Zambians to elect the best presidential candidate to take the country to the next level.
And Vice-President Rupiah Banda’s campaigner Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika likened MMD campaign manager Mike Mulongoti to a ‘houseboy’ over his statement admitting that the governing party had ‘donated’ K15 million to the NRP.

Aka said the statement attributed to Vice-President Banda, was the official position of the MMD on the matter.
However, he could not categorically say whether the statement attributed to Mulongoti was a lie or the truth.

Reminded that Mulongoti was the MMD’s campaign manager and his statement confirmed what transpired, Aka responded: “Well, he is a campaign manager; a campaign manager is like a houseboy. It’s like listening to a houseboy and the owner of the house. Obviously the voice of the owner of the house should carry more weight.”

Labels: HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, NRP, RUPIAH BANDA, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 6:46 AM