(DAILY MAIL) Revenge is out RB

Revenge is out RB
From KASUBA MULENGA in Kabwe

ACTING President Rupiah Banda says if elected President he will concentrate his energies on combating poverty and creating employment for Zambians and not fight those attacking him during campaigns. He was addressing a mammoth rally in Kabwe yesterday. Mr Banda said poverty and unemployment levels in Zambia were high and needed a President who would create wealth for the people.

“Once elected as President, I will not have time to fight back at those fighting me. I will dedicate all my efforts to creating employment and fighting poverty among Zambians. I will have no time for vengeance,” he said. Mr Banda said Zambians had many problems like poverty and health and that was where his vengeance would go.

He said whoever would emerge victorious after next week’s elections should be able to function by working hard to improve people’s living standards. Mr Banda urged Kabwe residents to vote for him because he was the only candidate from a party which people gave the mandate to run the affairs of the country up to 2011.

Others contesting the presidency are Mr Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front, Mr Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development and Heritage Party’s Brigadier-General Godfrey Miyanda.

“Neither my cousin Mr Sata nor Hakainde have the numbers that allow them to pass any law in Parliament. But my party (MMD) has 83 members of Parliament. The rest fall far too short,” he said.

And Mr Banda said he was the most experienced person among the four candidates contesting the presidency because he was the only one who had risen through positions up to the level of Vice-President and currently acting President of the country.

“None of the rest can claim to have done anything in terms of experience. I am the only one who can wake up upon being elected on day one and be able to constitute a cabinet for the country.
The rest cannot manage,” he said.

Mr Banda said although a day after being adopted as presidential candidate Mr Sata boasted that he had been given the weakest candidate by the MMD, he (Sata) would be shocked after the election day.

He said after finishing his campaign trail in Central Province, he would go to the Copperbelt and later to Lusaka.

“When I go back to Lusaka, I want to show Mr Sata and Hakainde that I will politically fight them and take them on,” Mr Banda said.

He said the MMD was determined to fulfill the mandate which Zambians gave it in 2006.

“Come October 30, Mr Sata will be able to swallow his words. I want to make sure that when he is sleeping and dreaming, he will just be seeing blue everywhere and not only after elections but
for the rest of his life,” Mr Banda said.

He called on the people of Kabwe to trust him and vote for him because he was determined to deliver.
“I promise the people of Kabwe that we are going to celebrate together after my victory in next week’s elections,” he said.

Earlier in Mumbwa, Mr Banda said the MMD’s campaign message was the continuation of the ‘new deal’ Government’s record of good governance, reports the Zambia News and Information Services.

Addressing a rally at Freedom square in Mumbwa, Mr Banda said the MMD had set realistic targets in fulfilling the aspirations of the people.

He said the MMD did not believe in taking people for granted in the pursuit of political power.

Mr Banda said MMD recognised that there were still many challenges to overcome in national development.
He said this was in spite of the many strides made in health, education, roads and agricultural service provision.

Mr Banda assured Mumbwa residents that the MMD would continue to boost agriculture by subsidising production.

He said this had clearly been illustrated by the reduction in prices of fertiliser from K200,000 to K50,000 through the Fertiliser Support Programme.
He said Government was making concerted efforts in its bid to ensure food security in the nation.