Post editor won't receive fair trial, echoes Fr Miha

Post editor won't receive fair trial, echoes Fr Miha
By Florence Bupe
Tuesday October 07, 2008 [04:00]

MISSION Press director Fr Miha Drevensek has echoed concerns that Post editor Fred M'membe will not receive a fair trial because those accusing him have already judged him.

Commenting on concerns raised by Press Freedom Committee of The Post (PFC) coordinator Leah Komakoma that M'membe was unlikely to receive a fair trial in the matter in which Vice-President Rupiah Banda has sued The Post and asked the High Court to jail the Post editor for contempt, Fr Miha said the government had a powerful hand over state machinery and would therefore use all means at their disposal to jeopardise the case in their favour.

"It is true that under no condition will M'membe have a fair trial. The question of a fair and just trial is absolutely out, and it is saddening that government should be conducting themselves in such a manner," he said.

Fr Miha said the case should not have even been taken to court in the first place, as The Post was merely doing their job of informing the public on the characters of presidential candidates.

He said remarks by information minister Mike Mulongoti that the courts should protect Vice-President Banda were a mockery to the country's democracy and an act of injustice. Fr Miha said the government should not use the courts for their benefit just because they had the power to control the judicial machinery.

He said the public appreciated the work that The Post was doing of informing the people on the aspiring candidates' characters, saying this would help them choose a credible leader.

"In the past elections, M'membe and The Post have always highlighted each candidate's character. So why should there be so much criticism this time just because the paper is bringing out the ills of the ruling party's presidential candidate?" Fr Miha wondered. "The Post has at least tried to give each candidate fair coverage.

When you look at some state controlled media organisations, do you see any coverage of opposition party candidates? There is no democracy. I would like to commend The Post for letting us know the kind of people who are aspiring to rule us."

And Fr Miha urged Zambians to scrutinise each presidential aspirant's character, cautioning that those with certain ills in the past were not likely to change now or in the future.

"If I'm 70 years old and I haven't changed, I will never change... So one can't say we should forgive someone for their past, because we are likely to see corruption coming up again when they are in power," he said.

Fr Miha charged that the MMD had never conducted fair elections after taking over office in 1991, and that their campaigns had always been marred by corrupt acts.

He said Mulongoti should have concentrated on carrying out his job as a minister.

"Mulongoti is being paid from taxpayers' money but he has decided to respect his job as campaign manager more by taking sides. He is minister of the nation. We don't pay him to be Rupiah Banda's campaign manager. It's a shame for him to be conducting himself in such a manner," said Fr Miha.

Vice-President Banda has sued The Post for libel. He has also asked High Court judge Charles Kajimanga to jail M'membe for contempt of court.

Last week in Mongu, Mulongoti threatened to close The Post if it did not co-operate with the government and the courts of law.

Mulongoti hoped that the court would protect Vice-President Banda since the case was before the court so that all citizens could be protected from harassment from those whose weapon was the pen.

At Solwezi showgrounds during a rally, Mulongoti - in an apparent reference to The Post - said after the MMD wins the presidential election on October 30, they would ask Vice-President Banda to go out of the country for a while so that on his return, Vice-President Banda would find all the problems sorted out.