HH warns Rupiah: be ready to face the consequences if elections are rigged

HH warns Rupiah: be ready to face the consequences if elections are rigged
Written by Mutale Kapekele in Livingstone

UPND president Ha-kainde Hichilema has said Vice-President Rupiah Banda should be ready to face the consequences if Thursday's presidential elections are rigged. Addressing a huge rally at Villa Grounds in Livingstone on Friday, Hichilema said UPND would react to "stolen votes" and that Vice-President Banda would be responsible.

"In 2001 our late president Anderson Mazoka won the presidential election and the MMD stole it from him," Hichilema charged. "If they do that again, we will react and it will be their fault. Rupiah Banda should be ready to face the consequences."

Hichilema said time was over when Zambians sat back and watched injustices committed by those in the government. And Hichilema said he did not need a lot of members in Parliament to form government.

"In 2001, late president Levy Mwanawasa did not have the majority in Parliament but he formed government," Hichilema said.

"When we get into power next week, we will form government. The Constitution does not say how many people you need in Parliament to form the government. So as long as the Constitution is on our side, we will form government."

Hichilema said it was not true that a party with few members in Parliament could not pass legislation.

"The people we send to Parliament are not there to represent their parties but the people of this country," Hichilema said. "So as long as the MPs who are in Parliament want to see this country develop, they will work with us."

Hichilema also said it was time for Vice-President Banda and Patriotic Front president Michael Sata to retire from active politics.

"My government will give a very nice package to Rupiah Mubwezeni Kumunzi [take him back to the village] Banda and Michael Bashikulu [grandfather] Sata as retirement because they are both tired and ready to retire," he said. "This country needs fresh blood that will sit at the UN summits with fellow generational politicians like Barack Obama with ease."

He said Sata and Vice-President Banda were too old to effectively run the government.

"The two [Sata and Vice-President Banda] have been on the political scene since the 1950s and served in governments from the Kaunda time to Mwanawasa.

What is it that they want to do that they have failed to do all that time?" questioned Hichilema. "It is high time we sent them back to the village so that they can continue farming."